Insp Matt Kehoe says three men will face court over Byron Bay graffiti offences

A high school, a surf club and a general store were targeted in what police described as a ‘senseless’ act creating a ‘whole lot of ugliness’ across the district.

Byron Bay Police Station. Picture: Liana Boss

A citizen’s arrest in the early hours of Friday ended with three men arrested and charged in relation to a string of graffiti attacks in the Byron region.

A high school, a surf club and a general store were targeted in what police describe as a “senseless” act and at times “quite disgusting”.

Police allege that around 5.50am on Friday, three men were seen spraying graffiti on a vehicle parked in Clifford Street, Byron Bay, when a member of the public challenged them.

The trio ran from the scene, but the witness was able to detain a 22-year-old man and contacted police.

Tweed Byron Police District Inspector Matt Kehoe said there had been a spike in graffiti in the town in the past two to three weeks.

A predominant tag that has emerged is “Pink Sock” but there has been other related, sometimes offensive, graffiti accompanying that.

“Police arrested a 22-year-old man from Suffolk Park,” Inspector Kehoe said.

“Further investigations led us to arrest another 22-year-old man from Suffolk Park and a 20-year-old man from Suffolk Park who have all been arrested and are currently assisting police with the investigation.

“Police have recovered spray cans and other evidence linking those three males with a number of graffiti offences throughout Byron Bay and Suffolk Park.”

Electronic video recording devices owned by the men have also been seized by police.

The Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club, Byron Bay High School, the library, Suffolk Park Bakery and Ingenia Holiday Park were among the locations allegedly hit.

Removal of the graffiti is expected to cost in excess of $10,000.

Inspector Kehoe said a childcare centre, the Byron Bay General Store, residential addresses, vehicles and council-owned infrastructure were also targeted.

“We’d encourage anybody who has been the victim of graffiti offences where the slogan ‘Pink Sock’ or similar has been used to contact Byron Bay Police or Crime Stoppers,” he said.

“There’s a lot of it that’s gone on over a number of weeks in Byron Bay so we have been following up certain lines of inquiry and it led us to arresting (these three men).”

Inspector Kehoe said the alleged acts were “senseless” and the graffiti was at times “quite disgusting”.

“These are people who are 20 and 22-years-old, they aren’t 14-year-old kids and they really should know better,” he said.

“There’s absolutely no need for any type of such disgusting comments to be written all over people’s private property in the district.

“They really have created a whole lot of ugliness across our district.”

All three men have each been charged with eight counts of intentionally mark premises etc without consent – aggravated.

The man arrested in Clifford Street was also charged with possess graffiti implement with intent to contravene S4(2).

They have been granted conditional bail to appear at Byron Bay Local Court on Monday, November 1.