Real estate agent Adrian Bruno is brutally smacked down in court by female colleague: 'You thought you were smarter than everyone else. That clearly was not the case'

By KAT WONG FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 07:08, 22 June 2026 | Updated: 07:18, 22 June 2026 A real estate agent has been barred from contacting his former colleagues after he told one to kill themself and sent violent threats to others. Adrian Bruno, 39, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend after sending a series of intimidating emails to his female colleagues. One of the women revealed the fear caused by his behaviour at a sentence hearing in Burwood Local Court on Monday. 'Since the offender left employment, my colleagues and I were subject to an ongoing campaign of violence,' she told the court. 'This deplorable behaviour was not a momentary lapse in judgment. 'It was a deliberate, calculated and prolonged intention to terrorise and cause harm.' Bruno sent emails with a 'vicious insistence' that a junior member of staff kill themself, while other correspondence included threats of rape and violent death, she said. The emails put the woman on edge, fuelling her anxiety and panic attacks, and damaging her sense of security. Adrian Bruno, 39, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend after sending a series of intimidating emails to his female colleagues They also led the single mother to bar her children from attending certain activities unless she was there, out of fear for their safety. Judge Christopher Halburd on Monday imposed apprehended violence orders to prevent Bruno from assaulting or intimidating his former colleagues or anyone they live with for five years. Should he breach those orders, he could end up in jail for up to two years. Bruno has brought his Bible to court on several occasions since he was first charged and has been seen reading from it before entering the courtroom. But his former colleague said this would not be enough to atone for what he had done. 'You thought you were smarter than everyone else and wouldn't get caught, but that was clearly not the case,' she said. 'The depraved actions and words cannot be washed away with a few verses from the Bible.' Bruno's lawyer accepted the contents of his client's messages were serious, and said it was concerning and distressing to hear about the impact on his colleagues. Bruno, 39, told one former colleague kill themself and sent violent threats to others Bruno's lawyer accepted the contents of his client's messages were serious, and said it was concerning and distressing to hear about the impact on his colleagues. Bruno is above on left But she noted the 39-year-old had not followed through and committed acts of violence. He has a long-standing psychiatric history and many of the menacing messages were sent in the mornings when he may have failed to take his medication, his lawyer said. She pushed for a community-based sentence to allow him to continue getting the help he needed. Bruno, who remains on bail, will be sentenced at a later date. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.