Notorious Qld rapist back behind bars, state govt says he should not go free

A dangerous Queensland rapist and killer who has been locked up since the 1980s is back behind bars, and the Attorney-General wants to keep him there.

A dangerous Queensland rapist who has spent more than 30 years behind bars for his violent offending should not be released from prison, the state’s Attorney-General says.

Mark Richard Lawrence was allowed to live free in the community after the Supreme Court ordered his release on a strict supervision order earlier this year.

The 59-year-old has since been brought back to custody on a warrant issued under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003.

At Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday, lawyers for the Attorney-General said Lawrence should not be released as he was considered likely to contravene various requirements of his order.

Justice Peter Davis said he would consider the matter on February 12.

Lawrence had been behind bars for 36 years over the violent rape and murder of psychiatric patient Julie Muirhead with a co-offender on Boxing Day 1983.

At the time, he was an involuntary patient at Wolston Park Hospital and killed Ms Muirhead by strangling her and cutting her throat with a broken bottle.

He told authorities he killed her to fulfil his sexual fantasies about rape and murder.

Lawrence was convicted of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility and sentenced to 15 years’ jail.

His criminal history contains entries for assaults, attempted robberies and sexual offending since the 1970s.

Lawrence was handed another seven year jail term for the rape of a prisoner in 1999.

He was due to be released in 2008 but remained detained under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003.

Psychiatrists have diagnosed Lawrence over the years as suffering from paraphilia, sexual sadism as well as anti-social personality disorder with prominent psychopathic traits.

He began taking anti-libidinal medication to control his sex drive in 2017.