Stephen John Balgowan (62) of Willovale Road, Cowra plead guilty when he attended court to answer the charge.

Balgowan's solicitor stated in court that the breach occurred when the victim had contacted him to rekindle their relationship and Balgowan responded in the negative.

Balgowan's solicitor said that he realised that he should not have responded at all.

According to police documents tendered in court, Balgowan contacted the victim via text message on June 14, 2022.

Balgowan and the victim exchanged a series of texts, before Balgowan ended it by messaging the victim 'don't worry and don't care about me anymore".

According to police documents, shortly after receiving the final text message from Balgowan, the victim contacted Cowra Police Station to report the AVO breach and told police that Balgowan had made threats of self-harm if he was arrested.

Around 4:30pm that day, police attended Balgowan's residence, were invited inside and spoke with Balgowan about the state of his mental health and of the contact with the victim.

Balgowan told police he had no contact with the victim as he had no access to a phone.

Police called the number Balgowan used to contact the victim, provided to them by the victim, and heard it ring somewhere in the house.

According to police documents, Balgowan denied having a phone, before police rang the phone again and Balgowan removed it from underneath a couch cushion.

Balgowan admitted to police that he had contact with the victim and that he knew it was a breach and that the victim had contacted him first.