‘Your honour, he needs help’: 45-year-old Wilfred Gary Obah guilty of naked antics

A court has heard several Hermit Park residents are “at their wit’s end” over the “bizarre” behaviour of their meth-using neighbour, who was caught naked, on all fours, in his front yard.

Wilfred Gary Obah leaves Townsville Magistrates Court after the 45-year-old pleading guilty to performing an indecent act, among other charges.

A court has heard several Hermit Park residents are “at their wit’s end” over the “bizarre” behaviour of their meth-using neighbour, who was caught naked, on all fours, in his front yard.

The same man also appeared on 15 counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass and cause offence when he became fixated on a Flinders Street shop owner.

The court heard Wilfred Gary Obah, 45, was shopping in a Flinders Street store in 2022 when he asked a staff member what he should buy for a woman he was going on a date with.

Police prosecutor Emily Olditch said during the conversation he repeatedly asked the retail worker sexual questions about what he should do on the date, asked about the worker’s private life, and sought out the same retail worker a week later and talked about his “sexual behaviour” with her.

Nearly a year later, in April 2023, Obah rang the store.

Wilfred Gary Obah leaves Townsville Magistrates Court after the 45-year-old pleading guilty to performing an indecent act, among other charges.

“Upon the victim answering, (Obah) stated ‘do you remember me, it’s the black guy, I’ve been in jail for six months and just gotten out. It wasn’t for rape or anything like that’,” Ms Olditch said.

Obah then told the woman “you’ve got my number, call me” according to facts heard in court.

He then proceeded to ring the store’s landline phone several times, but the calls were not picked up.

Eventually the victim’s partner called Obah and told him to stop, at which point Obah propositioned him sexually and began asking the couple for sexual favours and acts.

Police traced the number back to Obah and issued him with a notice to attend a police station, but he did not comply, leading to an additional charge of contravening a police direction.

This year on May 31, 2024, Obah conducted an “indecent act with intent to insult or offend” on his own driveway, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Phil Rennick said his client was on meth at the time.

“It is bizarre and erratic behaviour,” Mr Rennick said.

“He is a labourer, primarily working in concreting and he’s had a meth habit for over 20 years.”

The court heard a woman who lived near Obah was leaving for work at 5.30pm on a Friday when she saw the 45-year-old man “crouched on all fours” on his driveway, with no shirt, pants pulled down, exposing his “bare anus” to her.

The woman filmed the act and notified police, and another witness also saw the act.

Mr Rennick said Obah was not doing the act towards the woman, he was “just acting bizarre in his front yard”.

Ms Olditch said several neighbours on Goldring St in Hermit Park told police Obah had been “causing issues for years”, mainly by ranting and screaming on the street.

“Another neighbour said they’d been putting up with his behaviour for three years, and they were not racist, but were at their wit’s end,” Ms Olditch said.

“Neighbours believe he has significant drug issues, but the drug use cannot excuse his alarming behaviour.”

Obah pleaded guilty to all charges.

Magistrate Richard Lehmann said he accepted Obah did not direct the indecent act towards his female neighbour and sentenced Obah to four months imprisonment, wholly suspended.

For the harassing phone calls Obah was convicted and placed under the supervision of a probationary officer for 12 months.

Originally published as ‘Your honour, he needs help’: 45-year-old Wilfred Gary Obah guilty of naked antics