Vic: Alleged Idol stalker refused bail

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-2009
Vic: Alleged Idol stalker refused bail

By Daniel Fogarty

MELBOURNE, April 9 AAP - A Melbourne woman facing new charges of stalking an American
Idol contestant over the internet has been refused bail.

Tanya Maree Quattrocchi, 23, who was sent to trial last year on charges of stalking
singer Diana DeGarmo, was arrested again earlier this year and faces six new counts, the
Melbourne Magistrates' Court has heard.

The charges relate to stalking the singer, her mother Brenda and the Tennessee star's
housemate, model Donielle Morris, between last May and January this year.

Police allege Quattrocchi interfered with DeGarmo's emails and MySpace account and
sent electronic messages to the young star.

It is also alleged Quattrocchi accessed DeGarmo's MySpace account from a city internet
cafe 700 times over an eight-month period.

Quattrocchi, of Oak Park, has been in custody since January.

Her application for bail on Thursday was opposed by police acting Senior Sergeant Graham Banks.

He said Quattrocchi's victims felt they had endured a non-stop, three-year attack.

Sen Sgt Banks said Quattrocchi was at risk of committing further offences while on
bail and interfering with witnesses.

Quattrocchi's mother Lina Quattrocchi told the court she would stop working and look
after her daughter 24 hours a day if she was granted bail.

Ms Quattrocchi said she would ensure her daughter did not access the internet or leave
the house to visit internet cafes.

"Tanya is not a bad person, she might have made a stupid mistake and I want to help
her," she said.

"I can't see her surviving prison life. She just doesn't fit in there."

Deputy chief magistrate Dan Muling said it was clear Quattrocchi had an intellectual
deficit that required treatment.

But he said despite the selfless offer from Quattrocchi's mother to care for her daughter,
the risk of reoffending was too great for Quattrocchi to be released on bail.

Quattrocchi was remanded in custody until her next court appearance on May 11.

DeGarmo was runner-up in the third series of the reality television show and has since
released an album titled Blue Skies.

She has also appeared on Broadway in a production of Hairspray.

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KEYWORD: QUATTROCCHI WRAP

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