Kilcoy man Mark Joseph Loborec, 28, allegedly bursts man’s eyeball with phone before ‘torture’

A pin drop could be heard at a court as a man’s alleged hideous assault and torture of an elderly man was recounted. Permanent disability was but the start of the affair. WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT.

A man who police allege tortured a captive elderly housemate in most obscene fashion has had his bail denied.

Appearing via video link from remand at Cleveland Magistrates Court on Thursday, Mark Joseph Loborec, 28, remained impassive when it became clear he would remain behind bars.

The unemployed former factory worker from Kilcoy faced 13 charges.

Most serious among them was a count of torture; three counts of deprivation of liberty; a count of grievous bodily harm and two counts of serious assault of a person over 60, among others.

A hush settled over the court when the shocking allegations against the man were read out by Magistrate Deborah Vasta.

The court heard Loborec was staying at a 62-year-old man’s Alexandra Hills residence and using his mobile phone to stream television shows on August 19.

When the alleged victim refused to hand his phone back to Loborec, the defendant, according to police, threw the phone at him with full force, striking the man in the eye and bursting his eyeball.

The court was told Loborec’s alleged victim required surgery, stayed in hospital for a week and lost sight in the eye.

Upon the victim returning to his property on August 26 Loborec was allegedly waiting for him with two other men.

According to prosecutors, the defendant allegedly grabbed his victim with both hands around the head the moment he walked into the residence, and thrust his thumb into the eye that had recently undergone surgery.

The court heard Loborec then threw an ashtray at the man, hitting him in the head.

The horrific alleged assault continued, the court was told, with Loborec putting the elderly man in a headlock and fracturing his nose with a punch.

Undeterred, Loborec allegedly proceeded to grab two knives which he held close to his victim while repeatedly threatening to kill him, the court heard.

When the two other men present attempted to calm the defendant they were allegedly warned: “Shut your mouth or you’re next”.

Kilcoy man Mark Joseph Loborec, 28, had his bail denied for the alleged torture of an elderly man. Picture: Facebook.

Loborec faced three charges of deprivation of liberty for allegedly keeping the three men captive.

The court heard Loborec’s alleged victims were so desperate to escape they contemplated hitting the defendant in the head with a sledgehammer while he slept.

The three alleged captives eventually left while Loborec slept.

According to police, the defendant’s two acquaintances whispered in the elderly man’s ear: “Now is our chance to leave”.

The court heard when police arrived at the property after the matter was reported, Loborec was allegedly found in possession of a stolen orange motorcycle.

Prosecutors submitted it was vital that the defendant remain on remand due to alleged threats made to the “extremely fearful” alleged victims.

The court heard Loborec allegedly told the men he would get his Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle connections “to shoot them in the head”, were they to speak out.

Prosecutors noted no real bikie links could be established by investigators.

The alleged macabre offending came one week after Loborec attended a police station where he was alleged to have told police he was “feeling suicidal and homicidal.”

The man’s history of violent offending did him little favour.

The court heard Loborec was sentenced for assaults in 2010 and 2012; breached his probation in 2018 and received a 12-month sentence for serious assault in 2015.

Sentences for “drugs and needles” were also present in his criminal history as was a sentence for threatening to shoot a woman’s parents, according to Ms Vasta.

Defence solicitor Kurt McDonald said the man’s threat to the community could be sufficiently controlled with strict reporting duties; a curfew; court ordered doctor’s appointments and the use of a tracking device while he resided with his father in Kilcoy.

Mr McDonald further submitted the matter would be contested in the District Court for there were, “two sides to every story”.

“There are issues with the witnesses,” Mr McDonald said.

It did little to assuage Ms Vasta’s concern for the community, who noted Loborec’s alleged victim’s “are terrified with good reason”.

Deemed an unacceptable risk in the face of a “strong case”, Loborec was remanded in custody.

“You are looking at possibly quite a few years in jail,” Ms Vasta said.

Loborec is next scheduled to appear at court on December 2.