Tradie charged with assault after allegedly tying up three children in driveway

A Broome man has been charged with aggravated assault after he allegedly restrained three young children with cable ties in a front yard. Note: Images may be distressing.

Warning: Contains content that some may find distressing. 

A 45-year-old tradie has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault after he was caught allegedly tying up three children in a driveway in Broome, Western Australia. 

Police were called to a home on Cable Beach at 2:15pm Tuesday afternoon after reports of trespassing.

According to the report, a tradie called the authorities after spotting children playing in his client’s pool. 

But when the authorities arrived, they found two children, a six-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, sitting on the ground outside a driveway and their hands tied up with cable ties.

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A 45yo has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault. Picture: 9News

Tradie arrested and charged after allegedly tying up children

“They were frightened, they were crying, shaking and singing out for their mum,” a local resident Leandra McKenzie told 9News, adding the incident spanned over an hour.

Distressing footage of the man standing in a driveway at his home in Broome was live-streamed on Facebook, showcasing the two children sitting on the driveway with their hands tied. 

Locals were urging the tradie to release the two children, but “he wouldn’t give up,” Leandra said. 

In the “confronting” footage, people can be heard begging the man to untie the children. “What if someone tied your kids up like that?” said a woman in the video. 

An image of the children began circulating on social media shortly after, showing a third child, believed to be eight years old, sitting with the other two children, all hands secured with zip ties. 

It’s understood the 8yo boy escaped shortly before police arrived on the scene. 

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Three children were allegedly tied up with cable ties. Picture: 9News, Instagram

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St John Ambulance paramedics have since conducted a health check on the children, who were later reunited with their families. 

A 45yo man was taken into custody, with WA Police confirming they were investigating the incident. 

“The man, from Broome, was taken into custody, interviewed over the matter and charged,” said a spokesperson for the WA Police, alleging the “force used to restrain the children was not proportionate in the circumstances.”

He has since been released on bail and is expected to appear in court at a later date. 

Following the release of the distressing footage, Divina D’Anna, the Member for Kimberley, asked the community to stay calm.

“The vision in the video was disturbing and confronting,” she said, per ABC Kimberley. 

“As the matter is subject to a police inquiry it would be inappropriate to make further comment. At this time it's important the community remains calm and allows the police to conduct the investigation.” 

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Originally published as Tradie charged with assault after allegedly tying up three children in driveway