Meet Cody Milne and Tasman Binder – Adelaide’s alleged ‘Big Bird Bandits’ with a flair for fashion

Leaving court in matching skivvies and shades, they looked like characters from a 70s heist movie (the Sesame Street Swindle?) But will the courts see the funny side …

They’re charged with a serious crime – the theft of a $160,000 Big Bird suit from the Sesame Street Circus – but it was their stylish 70s courtroom fashion that made them a viral sensation.

Exiting court in matching white skivvies, Cody Milne, 26, and Tasman Binder, donned retro sunglasses before striding to a 1992 Subaru Liberty – described by their chauffeur as a “limo” – after fronting charges of aggravated counts of dishonestly taking property without consent.

Big Bird was returned to the circus two days after he was allegedly taken. Picture: Peter Caldicott/7 News Adelaide

Police say an apology letter was left from "the Big Bird Bandits". Picture: SA Police

The 213cm tall costume from a travelling Sesame Street Circus was returned with a note and apology from the ‘Big Bird Bandits’, saying “sorry to be such a big birden” two days after the alleged initial theft.

Reporters grilled the two, “Can you tell me how, how to get to Sesame Street?”
As the grilling continued, the pair brushed away the media throng as though they were on the red carpet – one of them even asking cameramen to “step away from the limo”.

That’s before they had trouble with the locked doors, and their driver had a drama finding reverse in the Sub’s manual gearbox.

While the theft case is ongoing, the attitude of the accused pair came as some comedic relief to a state concerned about a lockdown and return to panic buying at supermarkets.

Directly after the walkout at court, footage of the pair went viral, prompting the popular electronic duo Client Liaison – who dress similarly – to repost the footage.

Just hours after facing court, Milne took to social media to share stories of the furore he and his co-accused created, including jagging a share on popular meme and satire page @browncardigan.

Milne’s Instagram story showed a photo of himself sitting in bed, covered in a tiger blanket and holding a mug, captioned, “coming down with the bird flu”.

Mr Milne took to social media hours after his court appearance and joked about "coming down with the bird flu". Picture: Instagram

Milne also changed his Instagram bio to read “Danger in the sheets, Sesame in the Streets.”

A good friend of both, Charlotte Culshaw, said both Milne and Binder are larrikins who enjoy having a laugh at themselves.
“They’re super eccentric, lovely guys and live their lives to the absolute fullest but they are literally clowns together,” Ms Culshaw said.
“They are definitely the ‘funny’ guys of our group always bringing joy and silliness to an occasion.”
The pair are both hands-on, Ms Culshaw said, with Milne building a skate ramp in his house and both men often buying used cars, repairing them and selling them for a profit.

Ms Culshaw described how both men were deeply affected by the tragic road accident death of their friend in September last year, an incident in which Milne was also a passenger.

“It’s weirdly brought them closer together, it’s amazing, that definitely taught me life is short, and the boys have definitely taken it as a lesson to live their lives in the way in which she would have lived hers,” she said.

Tasman Binder is one of the accused who allegedly stole a Big Bird costume from the Sesame Street Circus. Picture: Facebook

The other person charged over the alleged offence that happened in April this year is Cody Alain Milne. Picture: Facebook

“We have been through a lot together as a group, it was a pretty massive part of our year last year.”

“I’m definitely the anxious mum of our group, constantly worried about the consequences of their antics, but somehow they will still make me laugh and reassure me.”

Milne and Binder are due to appear again in November.