Damian Stewart, 47, Anthony Pike, 33, allegedly cut wires in Sydney Trains service room, bringing down rail network after World Cup semi finals
Two men “living a life of vagrancy” allegedly deliberately cut wires in a vital service room to disrupt the city’s rail network, which – their lawyer alleged – had been left unlocked.
Inner West
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Two men “living a life of vagrancy” allegedly deliberately cut wires in a vital service room to disrupt the city’s rail network, as tens of thousands of Women’s World Cup spectators were leaving Stadium Australia, a Sydney court has heard.
The important Transport for NSW relay room at Ashfield Station, which brought the network to a standstill, a court heard, was left unlocked and allegedly had been for weeks.
Damian Stewart, 47, and Anthony Pike, 33, appeared at Burwood Local Court on Thursday after being charged with the actions that led to commuter chaos across greater Sydney’s train network, just as over 100,000 people streamed out of Stadium Australia and Qudos Bank Arena.
Stewart and Pike have been charged with breaking and entering, damaging property, trespassing and “endangering the safety of people on the railway”.
Both will remain behind bars after Magistrate Vivien Swain refused them bail given the “seriousness” of offending and, in the case of Stewart, a failure to comply with existing bail conditions.
Fans and revellers from both the Matilda’s World Cup semi final and a Luke Combs concert were left waiting for hours after alleged vandalism at the Ashfield relay room brought the network to a standstill.
The police allege Stewart, who the court heard suffers from mental health issues and is living rough around Ashfield Station, allegedly stood outside while Pike went in and allegedly cut the wires.
The court heard there was no CCTV of the relay room, but footage did capture Stewart running away from its location mere minutes after the alarm went off.
Upon arrest, a box cutter and pliers were found in his backpack.
Stewart’s Legal Aid solicitor refuted the allegations against his client, said he did not enter the room and — significantly — the room was unlocked.
Stewart had been on bail for minor offences from November after police found him with two Valium tablets.
Pike, who has no fixed address and, the court, suffered from PTSD and schizophrenia, made admissions to police upon arrest this morning that he allegedly cut and removed wires from the relay room.
His Legal Aid solicitor said those comments were made under duress after “rapid-fire questions” and his client now disputes the validity of those admissions.
The admissions, the court heard, were recorded on a police body-worn camera.
The area around the important relay room is popular with local homeless people, who often use the light of the relay room, and nearby power sockets, the court heard.
The court also heard, by the police prosecutor who opposed bail, how the alleged act risked the “serious possibility of a crush”, particularly at the Olympic Park.
“There were 287 trains affected, 140 cancelled, 50,000 people impacted, and about $15,000 in damages to the relay room,” he told the court.
“There was a real risk of crowd crush given the delays and impact.”
Magistrate Swain said the impact on the network was “secondary” to the risk of a crush, and how the alleged vandalism “endangered the safety of people on the network”.
The pair’s solicitor had argued both suffered from mental health issues and would be better served on bail, and that there were issues with the police case against his clients.
However, Magistrate Swain noted the lack of fixed abode for both Stewart and Pike, a history of failing to comply with bail conditions, and a risk to the community in her refusal of bail.
Both will remain in police custody and return to court in two month’s time.
Premier Chris Minns offered a “sincere apology” to anyone who was left stranded by what he alleged was an “violent act of vandalism”.
He has launched an urgent security review of critical rail infrastructure.
“Clearly the government has to look at security of the transport network, particularly in relation to critical infrastructure,” he said. “We will take action.”
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