Jarrad Harland: Gong graffiti artist faces fresh police charges

A Sydney graffiti artist’s daredevil antics earned him legendary status before police unmasked him as a Shire man. But after claiming to have turned his life around months ago detectives have laid fresh charges against him.

Jarrad Harland, who was unmasked as Gong.

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A notorious Sydney graffiti artist who earned mythical status for his death-defying tags is back before the courts just months after claiming he had turned his life around.

Jarrad Harland, whose alter ego Gong became legendary online, is facing new property damage charges after avoiding being sent to jail earlier this year on similar offences.

A 18-month investigation last year by Surry Hills detectives finally unmasked the 25-year-old as the man behind the infamous moniker.

Jarrad Harland, who was unmasked as Gong last year.

Police have charged him with fresh offences dating back to 2017.

Gong had eluded authorities for almost two years, with tags also popping up in Melbourne and Queensland.

The first clue they had to go on was an image of Gong in action attempting a nervy tag on top of the Eastern Distributor tunnel.

Harland was convicted in February after hundreds of tags across Sydney that racked up a damage bill of $38,000.

As part of his sentence he was ordered to scrub the city’s buildings clean.

These jaw-dropping tags are in Mascot and Chatswood came to the attention of police last year. Picture: Supplied

Harland was charged and sentenced for damaging the buildings. Picture: Supplied

However, he is back on the police’s radar after they allegedly linked him to a series of tags on trains in Campbelltown, Bankstown and Clyde as well as damage to a building in Bondi Beach.

Police have charged him with 13 offences including multiple counts of intentional damage and one of break and enter.

Court documents state that police accuse him of damaging a series of trains from western Sydney to Waterfall as well as walls of a Kirribilli apartment block and a window in Bankstown.

The charges date back to 2017 with some as recent as late 2019.

Harland is currently on bail after the charges were laid this month.

The corners of the internet where Gong earned his fame were again abuzz with activity in the last few months after several tags were posted.

Some have been referring to him as “the king of Sydney”.

Harland, who is on bail and lives in Caringbah, did not appear at the Waverley Local Court on Tuesday where his matter was briefly mentioned.

His lawyer Zoe Whetham told the court a plea would be entered on the next occasion and the case would be “very short”.

He will front court again next month.

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