Jai Hawkins charged with six counts of wilful damage

Police have charged a 19-year-old Gympie man with six counts of wilful damage and a number of drug charges after an alleged string of graffiti tags left community groups frustrated and angry.

Jai Hawkins has been charged over a series of alleged graffiti that targeted Gympie Centenary Scouts in Centenary Park.

A 19-year-old Gympie man has been charged in relation to a string of graffiti “art” incidents targeting community group buildings.

Police have charged Jai Hawkins with six counts of wilful damage by graffiti, along with a number of drug offences.

The alleged wilful damage took place between November and December 2023 and had targeted volunteer community groups in Centenary Park on Cartwright Rd.

Centenary Scouts have been victim to a brazen serial vandal tagger who targets wholesome community groups.

The park is a common thoroughfare for nearby primary school walking between Cartwright Rd and Glasgow St, and the dimly lit gully with a dirt access road is where Gympie Scouts and Tennis Gympie make their home.

Both community groups’ walls allegedly became canvases for a tagger who would leave the mark STAK/staka behind – and the more they cleaned it up, the more it would come back.

Photos of alleged tagging from Jai Hawkins, set to appear in Gympie Magistrates Court on February 26.

Gympie Centenary Scouts leader Kylie James said one the second time a message was left:

“Thanks for the wall.”

Concerned they were giving the alleged artist undue notoriety and fame, both groups were hesitant about publicly alerting the community to the graffiti.

On December 20, 2023, police charged Mr Hawkins with six counts of wilful damage by graffiti and a number of drug charges.

Mr Hawkins is due to appear before Gympie Magistrates Court on February 26, 2024.