Former supervisor at industrial testing company at Portsmith accused of stalking workmate

A disgruntled employee accused of stalking a former workmate from the company where he worked for 20 years is alleged to have posted the details of the allegations against him on Instagram, and breached his bail.

Anthony Charles Nilsson, 42, formerly an operations manager at the Cairns office of an industrial testing company landed himself in the Cairns Watchhouse after he breached his bail on a stalking charge by posting a "rant" and the police allegations against him on Instagram, .

A disgruntled employee accused of stalking a former workmate from the company where he worked for 20 years has spent two days in the Cairns Watch house after breaching his bail by posting details of the allegations against him on Instagram.

Anthony Charles Nilsson, 42, formerly an operations manager at the Cairns office of SGS – a company that does industrial testing, inspection and certifications, was charged on May 25 this year with stalking and given bail on the condition that he make no contact – direct or indirect – with the alleged victim.

The court was told that after being charged, Nilsson “participated in an online tirade on social media against the victim” and posted his own QP9 – the official police statement outlining the allegations against him – on Instagram.

“The victim was very distressed,” the court was told.

In breach of his bail on a stalking charge, Nilsson posted his own QP9 – the official police statement outlining the allegations against him – on Instagram, Cairns Magistrates Court was told

Duty lawyer David Harsma said Nilsson was remorseful and his time in the watch-house had helped him to “understand the gravity of the situation”.

Nilsson pleaded guilty to breaching a bail condition and was convicted but not further punished, taking into account the two days he spent in the watch-house.

Acting Magistrate Gelma Meoli did not record convictions.

“You were not to post anything on social media with respect to the (alleged victim, the business) and employees from the company … you are obviously very upset about what happened and between May 27 and June 4, you posted a tirade on social media with respect to that company,” Ms Meoli said.

“I’m told that, effectively, you posted your QP9, which is something that should definitely not have been put on social media.

“You have pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and I can see for myself you are very embarrassed about being in court for something like this.”

The court was told Nilsson, who now lives at Rainbow Beach, was visiting Cairns for a bicycle event.

The QP9 document posted by Mr Nilsson on Instagram, and seen by the Cairns Post, describes allegations that Nilsson, after more than 20 years at the company, had begun exhibiting “concerning behaviour” and walked out on his job without returning in 2024.

SGS initiated a lockdown and called the police when Parsons made a visit to his former workplace in May, police documents allege.

In the months that followed, Nilsson allegedly made threats and comments about his former workmate on Instagram and LinkedIn, and had also posted defamatory comments about the victim to the Cairns Volleyball Association, where the alleged victim had an association outside work, according to the QP9.

The document also describes an alleged incident in May 2025 when Nilsson allegedly followed his former workmate in his car, prompting a lockdown at the Portsmith workplace, before the police were called.

Mr Nilsson’s stalking charges were adjourned until July 16, 2025, for mention.

Originally published as Former supervisor at industrial testing company at Portsmith accused of stalking workmate