November 25, 2013
A magistrate has requested that a man charged with stalking and sending threatening text messages be placed on suicide watch after he was refused bail in Kingaroy Magistrates Court this afternoon.
The court was told the 41-year-old Kingaroy man was an interstate truck driver.
He allegedly stalked the woman, parking his truck outside her house, and threatened her and a male friend by sending threatening text messages.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said it would be alleged some of these texts were sent while he was driving his truck.
Sgt Bushell said the man had a prior history of a “very, very similar” offence for which he had been sentenced to jail.
Solicitor Elizabeth Daniels said her client was living with his parents in Kingaroy and they were prepared to organise an emergency mental health examination if he was granted bail.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said the allegations indicated a controlling type of behaviour “at the high end” of the scale.
He said parking outside where the female victim lived indicated a real risk to the woman.
“These threats compounded with threats of self-harm demonstrate controlling behaviour on your behalf,” Mr Bucknall said.
The magistrate said he believed an adequate mental health check could be carried out while the defendant was being held in custody.
He said the defendant was an unacceptable risk of offending, and at real risk of harming himself.
Bail was refused and the man was remanded in custody to reappear on December 19.
Magistrate Bucknall requested that he placed on suicide watch and be referred for mental health assessment.
