Mark David Ward charged with stalking Gympie MP Tony Perrett

A Queensland disability pensioner faces shocking allegations he threatened a state LNP MP in a series of text and voice messages, including a chilling recording of multiple gunshots being fired.

Mark David Ward, 52, of Kilkivan (pictured), has been charged with stalking Gympie MP Tony Perrett. Picture: Facebook.

A 52-year-old Kilkivan man will spend his birthday on remand after being refused bail amid shocking allegations he threatened Gympie MP Tony Perrett in an “escalating” series of text and audio messages.

Mark David Ward, a 38-year resident of the small town about 40km west of Gympie, sat huddled with his arms crossed in the city’s Magistrates Court dock on Wednesday morning as the court heard details of his alleged offending, claimed to have been carried across a number of weeks.

Police Prosecutor Allison Johnstone opposed Mr Ward’s bid for bail, telling the court he was an “unacceptable risk” of further offending.

The most serious message left on Mr Perrett’s phone was a 30-second voicemail recording.

The only sound on the recording was four successive gunshots, the court was told.

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Mark David Ward, 52, of Kilkivan (pictured), has been charged with stalking Gympie MP Tony Perrett. Picture: Facebook.

This audio clip followed a number of other alleged threats made against the MP, the court was told.

Earlier in the day Sgt Johnstone said there was no direct threat to use a firearm made against Mr Perrett in those messages, but given their nature such a threat could be “inferred”.

Duty lawyer Chris Anderson disputed this, saying there was no evidence the recording had actually been left by Mr Ward as it came from a private number, and no-one could be heard speaking.

Sgt Johnstone said Mr Ward did “maintain” those threats after being spoken to by police.

She said he declined an interview but after being placed under arrest on Saturday, September 7, “he said he still stands by his words”.

The court heard Mr Ward allegedly told police he would “treat (Mr Perrett)... with the same respect he had been treated with”.

Gympie Magistrates Court was told the alleged threats against MP Tony Perrett continued after Mark Ward’s arrest, with the Kilkivan man allegedly telling police officers he would “treat (Mr Perrett)... with the same respect he had been treated with”. MP Photo/Tony Perrett.

Mr Anderson told the court Mr Ward lived alone and had been on disability support for 15 years.

The court heard Mr Ward intended to contest the charges which include one count each of stalking, possessing dangerous drugs, and possessing explosives (ammunition) without an authority.

Mr Anderson proposed the court could grant Mr Ward bail with strict rules preventing him from contacting Mr Perrett.

This was rejected by Magistrate Bevan Hughes who told Mr Ward the allegations were serious, and he considered threats against an MP to be “an attack on parliament itself”.

He further noted Mr Ward’s had a “relevant history” including assault occasioning bodily harm as recently as May 2024, and the alleged threats against Mr Perrett “appears to be escalating”.

“Your (alleged) offending is not just one incident,” he said.

“It’s occurred on a number of occasions … and it appears to be escalating rather than cooling down.”

He refused the 52-year-old bail saying there was an “unacceptable risk” if he was given bail, as he had access to firearms and lived alone on a 2.4ha property without support from family or co-workers.

Mr Ward’s isolation “elevates the risk”, Mr Hughes said.

He adjourned the matter until November 25 and remanded Mr Ward in custody.

Originally published as Mark David Ward charged with stalking Gympie MP Tony Perrett