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WA man fined for harassing alleged sexual assault victim after juror discloses her name

A Perth man has admitted stalking an alleged sexual assault victim after he was given her name by a juror.

Alastair William Turner targeted the woman, whose case had gone to trial, after a friend on the jury passed on the information.

Turner harassed her via social media and text messages.

"The result didn't go your way today," he wrote to her.

"What on earth were you hoping for?"

He claimed there was "no evidence" for her allegations, that this was a "disgrace", and he accused her of wasting taxpayers' dollars.

Turner claimed he was speaking on behalf of members of the jury.

"You can't send an innocent man to jail," he wrote.

He'd accused her of drinking too much.

In another message, Turner said she was "utterly pathetic" for "accusing someone because they rejected you".

Facebook messenger group

Messages were sent on four occasions, via Instagram and text.

The court heard the woman was distressed after receiving the messages, as she didn't know who was sending them.

Police investigated and found a Facebook messenger group including Turner and the friend from the jury who disclosed the complainant's name.

The court heard it wasn't known if any action had been taken against the juror.

Members of juries are given a direction by a judge before a trial begins that they are not to speak about it to anyone outside the jury room.

Magistrate Robert Young said the offending seemed to be "unique".

"The concerning part about this is ... it's hard to know where to begin," he said.

Harassment strikes at 'heart of the justice system'

The magistrate said there had been a lot of publicity around sexual assault, and the notion of consent.

Complainants had difficulty negotiating the justice system, he told the court, and everyone should have an opportunity to be heard.

Turner's messages were "mocking" and "demeaning".

Magistrate Young said a complainant would react with "absolute horror" if their name had been disseminated by a jury member and an associate used the information to harass.

It "strikes at the heart of the justice system," the magistrate said.

Turner was "targeting a complete stranger and berating her", in what was "bizarre and appalling behaviour".

The man's lawyer said Turner, 32, had sent the messages while intoxicated and was remorseful for his actions.

Messages were 'thought through'

But Magistrate Young said the messages were coherent.

"You sat down, you thought it through, you pressed send," he said.

The magistrate gave some weight to Turner's struggles with mental health and accepted he was unlikely to reoffend.

Turner pleaded guilty to stalking and was fined $8,000.

Magistrate Young said there was a "public interest in maintaining community confidence" in the justice system.

Turner's application for a spent conviction was refused, the magistrate saying it was inappropriate.

A restraining order was imposed to protect the victim.

The "complainant has been through a lot", Magistrate Young said.

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