A woman has recounted a harrowing experience after a Tinder date spiralled into theft and a court case, revealing the dangers of modern dating.
From Tinder Match to Meth Addiction Discovery
Alisha, a FIFO worker, had recently moved to the Sunshine Coast when she connected with a man on the dating app just two days after her arrival. Despite a lacklustre first impression, she decided to give him a chance, noting he "seemed really sweet" on paper and claimed he was "between jobs"—a phrase she interpreted as unemployed.
The relationship progressed for about a month until Alisha made a fateful decision. She left the man alone in her apartment with access to her car while she departed for a week-long work stint at the mines. Suspicion soon arose when his Facebook activity turned questionable.
The Unravelling: Infidelity and Theft
"His Facebook starts getting a little suspicious," Alisha explained. She noticed relentless interactions with another woman, who eventually sent Alisha their private chat logs. The messages revealed her new boyfriend had used Alisha's car to pick up this other woman and taken her back to Alisha's apartment for "glass pipe action" and other activities.
Acting swiftly, Alisha left work early, flew home, and confronted him at his new workplace to reclaim her car. Upon returning to her apartment to pack his belongings, she made a shocking discovery. A whole bag of her jewellery was hidden in his backpack. "He was obviously planning to steal it because cheating wasn't enough," she said.
Courtroom Justice and a Pattern of Crime
After initially cutting ties, Alisha unblocked him, hearing his plea as a "troubled soul" trying to overcome a meth addiction. In a move she later regretted, she forgave him and even agreed to move into a more expensive rental, which he failed to help pay for.
During the move, $100 worth of Bunnings vouchers and a $2,000 laptop went missing. For months, he denied involvement. However, Alisha used the vouchers' serial numbers to trace them to a Gympie Bunnings, where his brother had redeemed them. She also discovered her laptop had been pawned at Cash Converters for a mere $150.
She took him to court. "And yes, he cried like a little baby, begging for me to drop the charges," Alisha revealed. The legal process uncovered that the man had a prior conviction for stealing from a partner eight years earlier.
The story resonated widely, with other Australians sharing similar dating horror stories online. One commenter wrote of an identical situation where a partner tried to sell a family member's new car, while another bluntly stated, "Dating on the Sunshine Coast is a s***show."
