Convicted paedophile Dennis Ferguson has won court-ordered protection from a former neighbour who left a replica coffin at his front door as part of his campaign to have him evicted.
Mr Ferguson, 61, was granted a two-year apprehended violence order (AVO) against father of three Sean Killgallon, a resident of the same Sydney suburb Mr Ferguson was evicted from last September.
Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court was told Mr Killgallon built the mock coffin after Mr Ferguson said he would only leave his North Ryde public housing unit in a pine box.
Mr Ferguson, who has completed the 14-year jail term he was handed for sexually assaulting three children in a Brisbane motel in 1987, had his lease overturned by special state government legislation in September last year, following a public outcry.
He now lives at an undisclosed Sydney address with a five-year lease.
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Mr Ferguson told the court he would like to move back to North Ryde and had received offers of private accommodation from friends in the suburb, but feared Mr Killgallon.
"I'm very concerned that if he could have got his hands on me he would have killed me," Mr Ferguson said, shaking and upset.
However, Mr Killgallon denied the pine box was a threat.
"If the man asked for a horse we would have got him a horse," he told the court. "He requested a pine box, so I got him one.”
"I'm a concerned father ... he can live anywhere, just not in my street with my children."
Mr Killgallon said he did not intend Mr Ferguson any harm or ill will and said he regretted his behaviour.
He also said he would not get directly involved in any further protest action against Mr Ferguson.
Magistrate Andrew George described Mr Killgallon's behaviour as a media stunt and a "mechanism for intimidation".
"The act of the defendant going onto this property was quite plainly unlawful," he said.
He said he found it difficult to believe Mr Killgallon had no ill feelings towards Mr Ferguson.
"There was no question the behaviour Mr Killgallon presented ... was both intimidation and harassment," he said.
"He's shown himself to be someone who enjoys the media spotlight. "This man could be a rallying point for others; I find that substantially disturbing."
Mr George said although he did not condone Mr Ferguson's criminal past he said he was entitled to community protection.
Outside court, Mr Ferguson's supporter Brett Collins hailed the outcome as a victory.
"We feel what the magistrate said ... his description of the behaviour as reprehensible, certainly justifies our efforts," he said.
Mr Collins said the court decision would discourage further vigilante behaviour towards Mr Ferguson.
The AVO prevents Mr Killgallon from harassing, stalking or intimidating Mr Ferguson.
