The court jailed a Canberra man who bombarded his ex-partner with abuse for more than a year and posted a disturbing Eminem lyric online.
The 36-year-old admitted breaching a family violence order five times. In total, he sent hundreds of texts and made dozens of calls, many of them threatening and abusive. On one occasion, after the woman briefly unblocked his number, he fired off 159 messages in just four hours. He also rang from private numbers, hurled insults, and even threatened her new partner.
The most chilling moment came when he posted a twisted version of Eminem’s “’97 Bonnie & Clyde” on Facebook in January 2025. In the lyrics, Eminem describes disposing of a body while speaking to his young daughter. The man swapped in a nickname for his own child, leaving his former partner terrified.
When police asked about the post, he said: “I’ve been posting a bunch of Eminem, I’ve been vibing with him”. The court didn’t buy it. Canberra Times quotes Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker saying, “One can hardly wonder what the purpose of the messages […] would be”.
She also noted the man showed little genuine remorse, despite writing a letter of apology. Alongside the domestic violence charges, he was sentenced for high-range drink-driving after dangerously swerving in front of a police car.
He will serve a 14-month sentence with a non-parole period of eight months, making him eligible for release in November.
This case is a reminder: music may tell dark stories, but those lyrics don’t justify hurting real people. “Vibing with Eminem” should never come at the expense of someone else’s safety.
