Ben Ko in court for wilful damage and breach of bail

An unemployed Gympie man wrote on the mirror in the men’s toilets, “What about 12 years of living conditions? China + Mask = Covid”. Read the full details:

A 38-year-old man was caught graffitiing a mirror an hour before he had to face court on another graffiti charge.

Ben Ko pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Thursday to breaching bail and wilful damage, and pleaded not guilty to a second bail breach and public nuisance.

The court was told that on September 20, 2021, police were made aware of graffiti in the courthouse mirror in the male bathroom: “What about 12 years of living conditions? China + Mask = Covid”.

The court heard police later took Ko into custody when they found he had a black marker in his possession, however at the time he denied the accusation.

Just an hour earlier, Ko had plead guilty to similar graffiti offences committed between September 1 and 14, in Noosa where he had written:

“12 years wasted. Stolen life. 12 years China + mask = Covid = fake news”.

On November 11, 2021, Ko undertook a bail condition that prevented him from going within 10km of Rainbow Beach.

At 7.20am on November 16, 2021, police saw him walking along the beach, the court heard.

He told police he was waiting to get paid and had no money for public transport to leave the town when police took him into custody, it heard,

He was given a one month suspended jail sentence, placed on parole for six months and remanded to appear again on March 14, 2022.