A Northern Rivers sex offender with an extensive criminal history stretching back 37 years has received community sentences after threatening a neighbour’s life and reaching speeds above 120km/h during a separate police pursuit.
Robert William Lyford, 57, was sentenced before Acting Judge A Sinclair at Ballina Local Court on October 15 for two stalking/intimidation offences and a police pursuit offence.
Eight hours of threats
Court documents state Lyford subjected a male neighbour to eight hours of abuse and threats, from about 7pm on June 22 until 3am the following morning, during an apparent dispute over a fence.
He called the neighbour a “f—ing dog c–t”, threatened to knock his teeth out and told him to “prepare for your funeral”.
“I’ll f— your mother in front of you,” he said.
The ordeal left the neighbour and his partner shaken and fearing for their safety.
In a separate incident on March 15, a police pursuit through Alstonville began about 8pm.
Court documents state he reached speeds exceeding 120km/h in residential streets.
Police twice terminated the pursuit because of his dangerous driving.
Lyford was arrested at his Wollongbar residence at 11.13pm that night.
His vehicle was parked outside and police found an open bottle of Tooheys New in its front cup holder.
Previous sexual offending and assaults
Court documents show Lyford’s criminal history dates to 1989 and includes convictions for multiple driving offences, stealing, assault and animal cruelty.
Lyford was jailed in 2023, receiving three concurrent 18-month prison terms for aggravated sexual touching, with a 12-month non-parole period.
AAP, citing police facts , reported he molested a 40-year-old autistic woman after going to her home to mow her lawns and help move rubbish to the tip.
After she declined his proposal to become “friends with benefits”, he told her: “It wouldn’t have to be S E X straight away (sic), it can start off with foot rubs and back rubs.”
Over the next two days, he hugged and kissed her before groping her breast and thigh.
The offending also involved a 15-year-old hitchhiker whose breast he groped as she left his vehicle.
The following month, he touched her thighs and buttock during an outing in which he bought her wine, with further touching on the drive home.
In a separate matter, Lyford pleaded guilty to two common assault charges at Ballina Local Court on February 3, 2026.
He was convicted and sentenced to two supervised 12-month Community Correction Orders. Two sexual touching charges in the same matter were withdrawn and dismissed.
AAP’s earlier reporting described the case as involving a 58-year-old woman he had offered to help move after her daughter sought assistance through a local Facebook group.
Community sentences imposed
Judge Sinclair took no further action over breaches of Lyford’s two February assault orders.
For the police pursuit, Lyford received a 12-month supervised Community Correction Order and a 12-month licence disqualification.
For the two stalking/intimidation offences, he received concurrent nine-month prison terms, to be served in the community under Intensive Correction Orders requiring supervision and alcohol abstinence.
Image : Robert William Lyford / aap
I live in same street and he still diving and his 14 year old son Jack drives up and down street in car and unregistered motorbike,,I have seen 3 times place next door to him people have moved cause of him and the whole crazy family,,the place is up for rent again, I feel for the next people who move in having to deal with constant noise from motorbike and lawn mower, chainsaw, blower,hedger,grinder the list goes on .