A former police officer accused of stalking four women in Frankston by placing Apple AirTags on their cars has been denied bail by a Melbourne magistrate.
Timothy Wilson, 65, appeared by video link at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday, facing four stalking charges as well as allegations of possessing a firearm and a weapon while prohibited from doing so.
Police allege the four women found 10 tracking devices attached to their vehicles, while prosecutors told the court investigators believed there could be up to 25 further victims.
The first complainant was alerted to an AirTag near her location on June 6. She and her father allegedly found the device, wrapped in black tape, attached to the driver’s-side door of her car, along with two more devices fixed in the same way.
Two weeks later, the woman’s sister received a similar alert. A device was found taped beneath her vehicle, and two further AirTags were discovered on July 18 and August 12.
A third woman went to Frankston police station on August 29 after a mechanic found an AirTag attached to her vehicle’s bumper during a service. She reported another alert on September 7.
The fourth complainant, who works with the third woman, allegedly found three devices taped or magnetically attached to her car on August 29.
A police prosecutor told the court that information obtained from Apple linked the three AirTags recovered from the fourth woman’s vehicle to a single Apple ID account in Wilson’s name. All four complainants live near Wilson’s home.
Police allege detailed notes were found
When Wilson was arrested on September 12, police allege he was carrying a 12-gauge shotgun cartridge. Officers also reportedly found silver knuckle dusters, a double-edged flick knife and an improvised spear at his property.
Two trail cameras, a homemade slam-style firearm and several small audio-recording devices were allegedly discovered in the garage. Police also found notebooks containing detailed notes about the women, their vehicles and their movements, the court heard.
Investigators allegedly recovered two empty AirTag packets, a bag of magnets and pieces of black tape consistent with material found on the complainants’ vehicles. Wilson’s mobile phone was said to be connected to 30 live Apple AirTags.
CCTV footage allegedly shows Wilson buying a four-pack of AirTags with cash at an Officeworks store in Frankston on September 5. Police allege he returned to the shop four days later and bought another four AirTags, electrical tape and a video recorder.
The prosecutor said the alleged conduct had caused the complainants “great mental harm” and left them living in a state of “hypervigilance”. She argued Wilson would pose an “unacceptable risk” to the women and the public if released.
Wilson’s lawyer, Nikhil Sood, told the court his client had no previous criminal history. He said Wilson had worked as a police officer between the ages of 24 and 31 before becoming a boilermaker, and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2010.
Wilson, who receives a disability pension, listened to the allegations while seated with his arms crossed. At one point, he put his head down.
Magistrate Samantha Seoud refused bail, finding that Wilson represented an “unacceptable risk”, particularly in light of the allegations and the items police said they had found at his home. He was remanded in custody to appear at Frankston Magistrates Court at a later date.
