A Lake Heights man who convinced a topless waitress a mafia man was after her has been fined $1500 and sentenced to a three-year community corrections order.
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Michael Skrapis, a part-time labourer, was sentenced in Wollongong Local Court on Monday for intimidating Chantelle Lopes and using a carriage service to intimidate, harass or offend.
Skrapis met Ms Lopes through her work at "Bombshells" in Sydney, where she waitresses and accompanies guests while topless.
After making two bookings at Bombshells, Skrapis obtained the victim's personal details and continued to make direct bookings with her, and the two became friends. Each week Skrapis would pay the victim a significant amount of money via bank transfer.
Police said that by August of 2018 Skrapis became "fixated" with the victim, and began to send her "multiple unwanted messages", before she blocked his number.
In September she received a WhatsApp message that claimed to be from a man acting on behalf of another man named Frank. Skrapis had previously mentioned to Ms Lopes that he knew a Mafia member called Frank.
The man said he was commissioned to get $7000 from Ms Lopes, and threatened her brother if she didn't pay.
"I'm ruthless," the message read.
"I popped past your place to have a chat ... but you weren't there. You stole $7000 from an associate of mine and Frank's paid me at all costs to get the money back.
"Tick tock."
The court heard Skrapis had paid Ms Lopes $7000 for a work party, which was cancelled due to COVID. She refused to refund the money.
Ms Lopes blocked the WhatsApp number, and called Skrapis from a friend's phone. He ended the call, and would not answer any further phone calls.
Ms Lopes then received messages from an unknown Instagram account that made similar threats, and demanded the $7000.
She blocked the account before attending Surry Hills police station to report the incidents.
Police arrested Skrapis on October 13, 2020 and seized his mobile phone. Skrapis admitted he intimidated Ms Lopes in an attempt to get his money back. He said he had paid her $4000 for entertainment, in addition to the $7000 for the party.
Skrapis' defence told the court he had "no intention of following through" on the threats made to Ms Lopes.
The magistrate labelled Skrapis' behaviour as "totally inappropriate", although she acknowledged he suffered from bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.
"You may not have been acting totally rationally, but I have to send a message," she said.
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