The Victorian construction union boss John Setka has been ordered by a magistrate to complete a men’s behavioural program.

Setka, 54, faced Melbourne magistrates court on Wednesday to plead guilty to charges of breaching a court order and to one other charge.

Neither of the offences relates to his CFMMEU leadership, in relation to which he continues reject calls to step down.

Setka will also have to donate $1,000 to an Aboriginal legal service and be of good behaviour for 12 months.

Outside court his wife, Emma Walters, identified herself as his victim.

He called her 25 times and sent 45 text messages in October last year, the court was told.

He also sent a tirade of abusive messages over four days in December to 3 January.

There were images of Walters with Setka with her face blacked out with the intention of “erasing the complainant from their life”, prosecutor senior constable Paul Brookes said.

“You are a cunt just like the rest of your family,” one of the messages read. Another said, “you are a treacherous Aussie fuckin cunt”.

Walters made a complaint to police on Boxing Day but the calls and messages continued until early January.

Magistrate Belinda Wallington said it was time for Setka to take responsibility for his actions.

His lawyer Marcus Dempsey said the union boss’ public profile was important for his work.

“It is a highly publicised and political world he lives in,” he said. “Publicly he needed to be seen as indestructible.”

The court matters come amid ongoing fighting among Labor and unions over Setka’s position as secretary of the powerful union.

There were calls for him to step down from the role and be ejected from the party after reports he told colleagues anti-family violence campaigner Rosie Batty’s advocacy had led to men having fewer rights.

Setka denies the comments.

Dempsey said it would be difficult for his client to reinvent himself as union boss.

“To be demonised in the way he has would be a punishment in itself,” he added.

“Everyone has an opinion about whether Mr Setka should stay in his position. It would be very difficult for him to reinvent himself.”

The ACTU and more than a dozen individual unions, including the three biggest in the country, have called on Setka to step aside.

The CFMMEU and other unions including the ETU are standing by him.