Mark Christopher jailed for causing more than $92,000 in damages to Brunswick Heads parking meters
A man drank homemade moonshine before vandalising 40 parking meters in a North Coast town while screaming “f--k the council” and “good luck getting your money tomorrow”. Here’s what happened in court.
Police & Courts
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A Byron Shire man who vandalised 40 parking meters while screaming “f--k the council” and “good luck getting your money tomorrow” caused more than $92,000 in damages.
Mark Anthony Loucas Christopher faced Byron Bay Local Court on Tuesday via video link, charged with destroying property.
He was jailed for 18 months with a non-parole period of eight months and ordered to pay Byron Shire Council $92,077 compensation.
Agreed police facts tendered to court state Christopher damaged most of the 51 parking meters in town between October 19 and 20 after Byron Shire Council introduced paid parking.
The 37-year-old told witnesses hours before the incident that he was “pissed off” at the new parking meters and appeared to be “extremely agitated”, documents state.
Witnesses later heard Christopher “yelling through town” and watched him punch a parking meter screen while screaming: “F--k the council” and “good luck getting your money tomorrow.”
Christopher’s lawyer Kim Ivosevac told the court her client could not “rationally explain what got into his head” and he was “just angry” at the recently installed paid parking.
Ms Ivosevac said Christopher had consumed homemade moonshine leading up to the offending and labelled his behaviour as “just stupid” and “idiotic”.
Ms Ivosevac said Christopher lived in a tent and was homeless by choice.
Magistrate Karen Stafford said nobody forced Christopher to consume alcohol and it did not reduce his moral culpability for the offending.
Ms Stafford said the offender caused more than $92,000 in damages while he was on an intensive corrections order.
“Christopher essentially embarked on a rampage which will be very costly for him,” Ms Stafford said.
Ms Stafford said Christopher had a traumatic childhood and had tried to live as independently as possible. He will need to seek treatment for PTSD and depression along with his use of alcohol and drugs.
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