Gold Coast Council election 2016: A tomato sauce bottled-wielding man detained over alleged vandalism

A TOMATO-sauce bottle wielding vandal who allegedly put swastikas on council election signs has been charged after a late-night stake-out.

Photo at Albert Waterways Community Centre of Paul Taylor and his son Darren Taylor who last night made a citizens arrest of a bloke who has been defacing his election signs. Pic by Richard Gosling

HIDDEN cameras and a private detective were on the job but in the end it was a citizen’s arrest that nabbed the man accused of wrecking dozens of Councillor Paul Taylor’s election signs.

The 58-year-old vandal, who had been using a tomato sauce bottle full of black paint to deface the signs, was brought to the ground by Cr Taylor’s son Darren, after an early-morning stake-out.

The Broadbeach councillor’s election signs had been targeted during a weeks-long campaign — painted over with a Nazi swastika and the word “dog”.

Swastika sign damage.

Yesterday, about 4.30am, Darren Taylor who had been sitting on a stake-out of the signs, saw a man on T.E. Peters Drive.

“We approached him and the man said he only had a bottle of sauce on him but he started to run, so I tackled him,” he said.

“I grabbed the bottle and squeezed it and paint came out.

“We are hoping this is the only person involved but we will not take any chances.”

The sauce bottle found at the scene.

The pre-dawn citizen’s arrest.

Cr Taylor, who is chasing a second term on the council representing Division 10, said he was pleased with the arrest.

He said the campaign against him had led to fears for his family.

“Some of the stuff led me to feel unsafe for myself, my family and their security, so we had engaged security measures to keep an eye on the signs,” he said.

Paul Taylor and his son Darren Taylor who made a citizens arrest of a bloke who has been allegedly defacing his election signs. Picture: Richard Gosling

“The previous night about 20 signs were hit, so then another stake-out was done and 11 signs were damaged before the man was caught.

“This is a great relief and I just hope they were working by themselves and that there was no others involved.”

A Broadbeach Waters man was issued with a notice to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on May 5 on one count of wilful damage.