Tinder stalker Reece Ward sentenced, history of targeting women revealed

A former supervisor in the Queensland mining industry has been exposed as a Tinder stalker and his history of targeting women revealed, with a judge describing him as a “significant risk” to the community.

Reece Geoff Ward.

A Tinder stalker who bombarded his fourth domestic violence victim with more than 3000 text messages and 192 phone calls over a short period, has been jailed.

Appearing in custody, Reece Geoff Ward, 31, was sentenced in the District Court at Gladstone after pleading guilty to stalking with violence (DV offence).

The court heard Ward’s offending happened over a three-and-a-half month period in 2022 against his fourth domestic violence victim.

He met the latest female victim on Tinder and they had a short relationship.

Within a few weeks, Ward’s controlling behaviour and need to intimidate the woman was quite evident, the court heard.

The woman ended the relationship and asked Ward more than 60 times to stop contacting her.

But Ward bombarded her with text messages, phone calls, and messages - including some which he sent via a “bogus” social media account he set up.

Ward tried to rekindle the relationship and professed his love for the woman.

During more than 3000 text messages, Ward displayed “considerable jealously” even though he’d only known the woman for a short time.

Ward accused the woman of being with someone else, said she had hurt him, called her a “selfish c---” and “a dog”, and threatened to kill himself as a form of emotional blackmail.

Reece Geoff Ward.

He also phoned her 192 times over a period of about six weeks.

He turned up uninvited at her workplace and also at her house when she did not return calls and messages.

Ward threatened the woman to her face when she returned home from shopping - she tried to go to the police station to report the offending, but Ward followed her.

In one message, Ward told the woman he was so angry he “wanted to kill some c---” and on the same day, he left her a voice message saying he was going to kick her door in and “stab the occupants to death.”

Ward’s DV history was read to the court.

It heard Ward offended against his first domestic violence victim between 2013 and 2018.

He was then subject to a suspended sentence when he stalked his second DV victim in 2019 and for that he was sentenced to nine months’ jail.

While in custody for that, he reoffended by sending the victim letters from prison, and then resumed stalking her the day after being released on parole.

Ward then got another jail sentence for domestic violence against a third victim.

Gladstone Courthouse.

Judge Jeff Clarke said that background confirmed Ward’s recidivism for perpetrating “very concerning and controlling” domestic violence offences against multiple women with whom he’d been in relationships - some for just short periods.

“In my view you pose a significant risk of reoffending and will require close supervision in the community, perhaps hopefully with a condition monitoring your access to online dating sites - that is a matter for the authorities,” Judge Clarke said.

“I direct that a copy of these sentencing remarks, once revised, be provided to Queensland Corrective Services.”

Ward’s barrister Maree Willey said during her client’s latest offending, there was no actual violence, only threats of violence.

The court heard Ward was educated to Year 10 and had worked as a butcher, spray-painter, boilermaker, and supervisor in the mining industry.

It was told he had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and once released from custody, he intended to live independently, care for his ill mother, undertake counselling and maintain his mental health.

Judge Clarke sentenced Ward on July 10 to three years and six months’ jail, declared 208 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and set parole eligibility at April 9, 2025.

Originally published as Tinder stalker Reece Ward sentenced, history of targeting women revealed