Mohommed Farhat charged following alleged anti-Israel vandalism attack in Woollahra

Mohommed Farhat did not apply for bail after he was arrested in the early hours of Monday and charged with 21 offences relating to the alleged vandalism attack in Woollahra.

A man has been arrested as he attempted to leave the country following a vandalism attack on a prominent Jewish neighbourhood in Sydney last week.

Mohommed Farhat, 20, was arrested in the early hours of Monday at Sydney airport and charged with 21 offences after a car was torched and nine others spray-painted with anti-Israel graffiti in Woollahra on November 21.

The alleged rampage took place over just one hour, from 11.30pm to 12.30am.

Mr Farhat, from Arncliffe in Sydney’s south, was booked on a flight to Bali when police arrested him, with vision showing a plainclothes officer wheeling a large item of luggage behind him as he was walked in cuffs out of the airport and into a waiting police car.

Mr Farhat was taken to Mascot police station and charged with 14 counts of damaging ­property, three counts of entering land to commit an indictable ­offence, and two counts of destroying a car by means of fire – with damage worth more than $5000 in one case.

Police believe he was with another person when he allegedly set the two cars on fire.

He was also charged with disguising his face while allegedly committing the offences, and behaving in an offensive manner in public.

Mr Farhat did not apply for bail at Downing Centre Local Court on Monday, and his barrister Evan James asked for the matter to be adjourned for two weeks “to make an appropriate, comprehensive (release) application on next occasion”. He had three young supporters sitting inside the courtroom.

Emergency services first responded to reports of a vehicle fire on Wellington St, Woollahra about 12.30am on Thursday.

Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the fire but the vehicle was destroyed.

Nine other vehicles parked along Wellington Street, Tara Street, Fullerton Street and Ocean Street were also allegedly graffitied, some spray-painted with the words “f..k Israel”, with the total estimated value in excess of $70,000.

Three buildings on Ocean Street and Fullerton Street, including the door of a unit complex in Ocean St and Matt Moran-owned restaurant Chiswick. were also allegedly graffitied, costing an estimated $20,000 to $30,000.

The celebrated restaurateur arrived at the premises on Thursday morning, grim-faced, to inspect the damage.

Mr Moran told The Australian: “It’s incredibly disappointing to see this amount of vandalism – there’s no place for it in our community. We are co-operating with the relevant authorities in their investigation.”

Apartment block on Fullerton Street in Woollahra that was damaged. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Cars that were damaged in Woollahra. Picture: Tim Hunter.

At the time, police requested anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward, and set up Strike Force Mylor to track down those responsible, declaring “hate crime will not be tolerated”. Forensic teams cordoned off several crime scenes. Police said “a number of exhibits” had been left at the scene by the offenders.

Following inquiries, the man was arrested about 3.50am on Monday.

“A man has been charged after 10 vehicles and buildings were damaged in Sydney’s eastern suburbs last week,” NSW Police said in a statement on Monday.