Walkabout Wildlife Park, Calga: US tourist, Alex Clark, said he would turn man into street pork buns

A US tourist was arrested just two days into his holiday, after telling someone “I will turn you into street pork buns” at a Central Coast wildlife park.

A US tourist poked a fellow tourist with a knife and said he would turn a man into “street pork buns” while staying at a Central Coast wildlife park.

Alex Clark had been holidaying in Australia for just two days when he landed in police custody for his warped sense of humour after scaring fellow tourists at the Walkabout Wildlife Park in Calga.

The 26-year-old appeared at Gosford Local Court via audio visual link from Gosford Police Station on Friday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of stalk or intimidate intending to cause fear of physical harm, common assault and armed with intent to commit indictable offence.

An agreed set of facts tendered to the court stated that Clark was a US citizen who arrived in Australia for a four week holiday on August 7.

“The accused and both victims (from Germany and Canada) were all guests staying temporarily in accommodation at the Walkabout Wildlife Park,” the facts stated. “As guests they undertook voluntary work in the park.”

Clark appeared in court from Gosford Police Station where he was being held in custody. Picture: Sue Graham

The facts state on August 8, Clark and the male victim were at dinner in the cabin area of the park.

Clark said “my uncle is a butcher and I am a baker. I will kill you and I can turn you into street pork buns”.

The next day, Clark, the victim and other guests were in the ranger’s cabin preparing food when Clark pulled out a 4-5 inch bladed bowie knife.

He pointed the knife at the male victim and said, “if you weren’t afraid to sleep, are you afraid now?”

Clark was in possession of a bowie knife which he said he brought in his luggage from the US.

The facts stated that the victim was scared of Clark with the pair sharing a bunk bed.

The same day the female victim was looking at a spider exhibit while she and Clark were preparing food for animals.

“She felt something poking into her right side rib area,” the facts stated.

“She looked down to her right and saw a knife sheath held by the accused. She saw him holding the knife handle.”

She said to Clark, “don’t do that, I don’t think it’s funny”.

Police received complaints about Clark and he was arrested at the park on August 11 and found carrying a knife.

Walkabout Wildlife Park offers camping and cabin options for tourists.

Clark was taken to Gosford Police Station where he admitted to all three incidents and maintained he was “joking”. He said he brought the knife in to Australia with his luggage.

Clark’s defence said he worked as a welder in the US and had been living with his sister in Utah for the past six years.

She said he “picked up a dark sense of humour in his workplace” with all Clark’s offences “attempting to make a joke”.

She said Clark made a joke that there was a spider on the second victim and poked her with the handle of his knife.

“He recognises that wasn’t the most appropriate joke,” she said.

She said the incident at dinner was Clark telling a horror story about the “butcher, baker and candlestick maker”.

Clark was fined and sentenced to a conditional release order at Gosford Local Court. Picture: David Swift

“He acknowledges the story made someone feel uncomfortable,” she said.

The court heard Clark was “scared, afraid and wants to go home as soon as possible”.

Magistrate Jennifer Price said the charges were serious and told Clark “clearly your sense of humour is not appreciated by others. It seems a strange way to establish relationships”.

She convicted Clark of one of the stalk/intimidate charges and the charge of armed with intent to commit indictable offence and fined him $2250.

She did not convict him of the second stalk/intimidate charge or the common assault charge however sentenced him to a 12 month conditional release order to be on good behaviour.

He has been banned from the Walkabout Wildlife Park.