Sydney street artist offered ‘internships’ before alleged rapes
A world-famous Sydney street artist “emphatically denies” offering internships to teenage art students before allegedly drugging and raping them.
Police & Courts
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World-renowned Australian street artist Anthony Lister offered “internships” to teenage art students before allegedly drugging and raping them, police allege.
The Sydney father is accused of sexually assaulting four women – aged between 18 and 19 – on separate occasions at his Darlinghurst home between 2015 and 2018.
Lister allegedly tattooed the torso of one of his victims while she was heavily intoxicated.
The 40-year-old’s lawyer says Lister will fight all of the charges – which also include drug and gun possession.
“He is distressed and hurt by the charges and emphatically denies that he has ever taken wrongful advantage of anyone in a sexual context,” Stewart Levitt said in a statement.
Sporting a mullet, the handcuffed graffiti artist fronted Central Local Court on Wednesday via video link from Surry Hills police station, and is expected to apply for bail next week.
Wearing a bright, multi-coloured T-shirt and tracksuit pants, Lister bowed his head after his short matter was adjourned until May 7.
Police allege he drugged his victims – including three art students – and tattooed three lines onto one of the women without her consent on November 28, 2015.
One month earlier Lister hosted a ‘Bad Tats’ party in Redfern which offered “live tattoos” to launch his three-part Zine.
It’s understood police will allege the fourth young woman came to Australia to be an artist and Lister promised to help her career, but after being drugged she woke up to him having sex with her.
Brisbane-born Lister was arrested after police raided his home and an industrial space in Marrickville on Tuesday, allegedly seizing four replica pistols, knuckle dusters and an assortment of illegal drugs.
These included ice, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis, as well as computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, SD cards, and other electronic equipment.
Lister was charged with causing grievous bodily harm, five counts of sexual intercourse without consent and using an intoxicating substance to commit an indictable offence.
He was also hit with seven counts of possessing prohibited drugs, possessing a prohibited weapon and four counts of possessing a prohibited firearm in relation to a replica Glock pistol and ball bearing guns.
“I’d like to commend them for trusting us, having faith in us and having the courage to take these matters to the court process,” he said.
Colloquially known as the “adventure painter”, he recently featured in Netflix documentary ‘Have You Seen the Listers?’ which chronicles the artist’s rise to international fame.
His work is also featured in the National Gallery of Australia and Art Bank Australia.
Lister’s graffiti artworks are prominent around Sydney, particularly in the inner west. In recent months, though, his work has been vandalised.
Lister has also been the subject of hate messages on social media but is understood to have deleted a number of the posts.
Last July Lister pleaded guilty to possessing a graffiti equipment and escaping lawful custody and was fined $1,250.
In 2016 Lister was found guilty of a wilful damage graffiti charge, but no conviction recorded and he was ordered to pay $440 to Brisbane City Council.
He was ordered to perform five hours of community service with the council’s Graffiti Removal Service.
Lister told Brisbane Magistrates Court the street art for which he was charged in 2014 were “blessings’’ and “a gift of my creativity’’ to his birthplace city.
After his sentence, Lister gave Magistrate Barry Cosgrove a signed sketch he had drawn of him during the hearing.
– additional reporting Jonathon Moran and Kay Dibben