Millbridge man Adriel Ryan Richard James Stanko jailed for assaulting, using tracking device on wife

A South West magistrate has lambasted the actions of a 35-year-old Millbridge man, questioning how he could possibly love his wife after assaulting her on multiple occasions and planting a tracking device in her car. Adriel Ryan Richard James Stanko appeared in Bunbury Magistrate’s Court on Monday where he was sentenced to a two-year prison term for multiple charges of assault, pursuing another to intimidate, persistently engaging in family violence, unlawful use of a tracking device and using a listening device to listen to a private conversation. The court was told of four incidents where Stanko had assaulted his wife, leaving her with scratches, bruises and cuts to her lips, with the majority of the incidents taking place at their family home between January and October last year. In one incident that took place in a Perth hotel room, Stanko grabbed his wife by her throat with his right hand and her head with his left hand, shoved her against a glass window and threatened to “put her through it”. Another incident saw Stanko, who had been drinking, pull the victim out of bed by her shirt and demand to know what she had been up to while he was away doing FIFO work. A third incident saw Stanko grab the victim by her shoulders and slap her to the face, only to slap her a second time after she told him to “leave me alone”. After reporting the assaults to police, the victim disclosed Stanko had placed a tracking device inside her car and alternated its use between tracking her movements and listening to conversations she had with friends, telling officers she would later be confronted by Stanko about her movements and who she was with. Police later conducted a search of the victim’s car and located the tracking device, which was active at the time. In police interviews, Stanko denied assaulting his wife, telling officers she would constantly bump into furniture, and said the victim could have had the tracking device removed from her car at any time, claiming he bought it to track their vehicles if they were to be stolen. However, the victim told police she never consented to having the tracking device installed and felt she had no say in having it removed. As police prosecutor Sergeant Darren Grigson read out the details of each charge to the court, Stanko could be heard gasping in perceived disbelief of the allegations despite pleading guilty to the charges. In submissions, Stanko’s defence counsel Paul Chapman told the court his client had engaged in counselling and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings since being charged to address his alcohol misuse after coming to the realisation his behaviour was “unacceptable”. However, Magistrate Linda Keane said Stanko’s offending behaviour was “more than unacceptable” and voiced concerns that Stanko did not have a full insight to his offending, noting his exasperated expressions at the bar table. “I am concerned this behaviour shows an extremely poor and entrenched attitude towards his ex-partner and he sought to control her,” she said. “He should have alarm bells ringing around him if he were to have any future relationships.” When Ms Keane told Mr Chapman that Stanko’s offending reached the point of imprisonment, Stanko became notably distressed and said “look at me your honour”. After standing down the sentencing for several hours, Ms Keane told Stanko that none of his behaviour could be excused by potential infidelity concerns and it was more to do with his own jealousy and paranoia. “Your behaviour is abhorrent, it is disgusting,” she said. “Your attempts to control your wife, dominate her and manipulate her is disturbing to say the least.” As Stanko silently sobbed in the dock, Ms Keane said any suggestion of sympathy should be directed to his wife rather than himself. Ms Keane also voiced concerns about several character references that were submitted to the court that spoke of Stanko’s “love and devotion to his family”. “If you loved your family so much, how could you possibly treat your wife this way,” she asked Stanko. Stanko continued sobbing as he was led away into custody. He will be eligible for parole in January 2023.