By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A KITTENS bouncer was placed on a two-year community-based order after pleading guilty to stalking and threatening a stripper by pressing an illegal handgun against her face in Hallam.
Patrick Iaulualo, 21, of Hampton Park, had initially denied the 19-year-old victim’s claims they had a brief affair and that after its demise he stalked, threatened and pulled a gun on her in his car on Australia Day night.
From the start, he admitted to police to owning the unregistered .22 calibre gun and 150 rounds of matching ammunition found in his car’s back seat.
Iaulualo told police he was armed out of fear of outlaw motorcycle gang members after shots were fired at his South Melbourne workplace in November.
According to police, the married father-of-two phoned the alleged victim, then visited her at a Hallam house on 26 January.
CCTV footage showed Iaulualo driving up and down the street several times before visiting the former work colleague.
The victim agreed to speak in Iaulualo’s car, where he allegedly pulled the gun and placed the barrel against her face.
He pressed a button and activated a red laser on the weapon, the victim told police.
At that stage, the victim allegedly feared she would be shot and begged to go home.
Fifteen minutes later, Iaulualo followed the victim’s car.
During the drive, he rang to say: “I feel like I’m letting you go too easy”, the court heard.
He allegedly instructed her to pull into a servo or he’d shoot her tyres.
CCTV footage showed the accused approach the victim’s car and sit in the passenger seat.
Iaulualo was later seen pacing up and down as he was locked out of the service station, the court was told.
The following day, police intercepted Iaulualo in his car with the loaded gun and ammunition.
Defence lawyer Roona Nida told the court that Iaulualo had been attacked in custody by prisoners with bikie gang links on 19 March.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen took into account a favourable psycholgical report that noted Iaulualo’s remorse and insight. It stated the accused was at low risk of re-offending.
Mr Vandersteen told Iaulualo he had been “naive” and “out of his depth” at Kittens. Instead he should focus on the strong support from family and friends, including his wife.
“I can’t see you using that gun.
“You’ve drifted. And drifted in a big way in the last few months.”
He jailed Iaulualo for 57 days – which had already been served in remand – on top of the supervised corrections order.
The accused was warned that if he breached the order – or the intervention order protecting the victim – he would face a substantial jail term.
