POLICE QUESTION RAMPAGING TANK DRIVER
July 14, 2007 09:05:00
Police are continuing to question a man who allegedly used a restored army tank to go on a rampage through Sydney's western suburbs overnight.
Police say the tank was used to destroy six mobile phone towers in a number of suburbs, including Mt Druitt, Emerton and Plumpton.
An electricity sub-station at Minchinbury was also destroyed.
Police Chief Inspector Guy Haberley says the driver was finally stopped when his tank stalled as he was driving towards another mobile phone tower.
"[It was] certainly unusual, however the best thing was that no public were significantly put into any danger," he said.
"The incident occurred between 2:00am and 3:35am, there was limited traffic on the roads and police patrolled it well and managed to avoid any damage to any public or to police."
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MAN TO APPEAR IN COURT OVER TANK RAMPAGE
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/14/1978620.htm
Police say the man lead them on a long, but slow chase through a number of Sydney suburbs. (ABC)
A 45-year-old man will appear in court today charged with destroying a number of mobile phone towers in Sydney's west overnight using a restored army tank.
The man has been charged with numerous offences including breaking and entering, stealing, six counts of malicious damage, drug possession, using a weapon and driving in a dangerous manner.
He is due to appear in court later today.
Police say they first spotted the man about 2:00am AEST as he was using the tank to damage an electricity substation at Minchinbury.
Police Chief Inspector Guy Haberley says the man then led officers on a long, but slow, chase through a number of suburbs in Sydney's west.
"Mount Druitt highway patrol followed the vehicle at an approximate speed of 30 kilometres an hour at all times," he said.
During the 90-minute chase police allege the man destroyed a number of mobile phone towers and relay sheds.
Mobile phone coverage in the city's west has been affected as a result.
TEMPORARY PHONE TOWERS MAY BE NEEDED AFTER TANK RAMPAGE
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/14/1978604.htm
Telstra says it may have to install temporary mobile phone towers in Sydney's west to replace ones which were damaged overnight when a man went on a rampage in a restored army tank.
The man led police on a 90-minute chase through a number of suburbs.
Police are alleging that the 45-year-old destroyed six phone towers and damaged an electricity sub-station.
He is still being questioned.
Telstra spokesman Jeremy Mitchell says repair crews have not yet been given access to the phone towers.
"Our crews are now on the ground, we're just waiting for the police to finalise the investigations on the actual site, then we'll be able to ascertain exactly the full extent of the damage," he said.
"There will be some coverage problems in those areas but our team will be ensuring that if there is a total loss of a tower that we'll have a mobile tower erected."
TANK RAMPAGE CASE ON HOLD UNTIL MONDAY
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/14/1978671.htm?site=sydney
Posted July 14, 2007 16:40:00
Updated July 14, 2007 16:44:00
Police say six mobile phone towers and an electricity substation were destroyed during the chase. (ABC)
A Sydney man has been refused bail on charges of using a restored army tank to destroy an number of mobile phone towers in the city's west.
Dharruk man John Robert Patterson, 45, has appeared in Parramatta Bail court on a range of charges including malicious damage.
It is alleged that early this morning he used an armoured personnel carrier to destroy six mobile phone towers and an electricity substation in Sydney's west during a 90-minute chase by police.
In court today he did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
The court was told that in an interview with police he said he had "authority to behave in the manner that he did".
The magistrate recommended that he receive psychiatric treatment and the case was adjourned until Monday.
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