Melbourne man Sam Chadwick allegedly drove two teens around on vandalism spree in order to be ‘one of the boys’

A 50-year-old Melbourne man allegedly drove two teens around at night so they could slingshot marbles into building windows because he “wanted to be one of the boys”, a court has heard.

Sam Chadwick leaving Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday. Picture: Ian Currie

A man who “wanted to be one of the boys” allegedly drove two teens around the streets of Melbourne at night so they could slingshot marbles into buildings, causing almost a quarter of a million dollars in damage over a three-month period, a court has heard.

Sam Chadwick, 50, tried to hide from cameras as he left the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday where his bizarre alleged criminal conduct was aired for the first time.

The court heard Mr Chadwick, initially charged with more than 100 offences, drove the boys around in his black Nissan Pulsar after dark, allegedly enabling them to hurl projectiles into the glass entrances of businesses and residential apartments on numerous occasions between October and December 2023.

Among them were apartment blocks targeted multiple times after costly repairs were completed.

Other targets included a supermarket, gym, juice bar, fish and chip shop, furniture store, cycling outlet and several banks located between Bentleigh and Mentone West, with the total damage bill exceeding $234,000.

Mr Chadwick tried to hide from media as he left the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday. Picture: Ian Currie

Mr Chadwick’s lawyer Patrick Coleridge said it was “almost an amusement” that a middle-aged man with no criminal history could be charged with such behaviour – but that it could be explained by his dysfunctional childhood.

“He wanted to achieve the approval of the boys. He overly identified with the kids and wanted to be one of the boys,” Mr Coleridge said, pointing to a psychologist’s report into Mr Chadwick’s behaviour.

Magistrate Belinda Wallington said the man showed “an extraordinary lack of responsibility and immaturity”.

“He may not have been actively (shooting the marbles) but like with an armed robbery, the driver is pivotal to the offending,” Ms Wallington remarked.

The teens allegedly used slingshots and marbles to smash windows. Picture: Supplied

Prosecutors on Monday withdrew a significant number of charges against Mr Chadwick, who intends to plead guilty to about 30 proceeding charges at his next court appearance in February.

When confronted by media cameras, Mr Chadwick hid inside the courthouse, later emerging in sunglasses and shielding his face with his hands.

The court heard police arrested the man in December 2023 after a raid of his home and car allegedly uncovered containers filled with marbles and clear glass pebbles, slingshots, illegal fireworks, extendible batons, 17 cannabis plants and almost 1kg in dried cannabis.

A psychological assessment of Mr Chadwick was “optimistic” about his prospects for rehabilitation, according to Mr Coleridge.

“The court has what it needs to fashion an appropriately stern sentence directed toward his rehabilitation,” the lawyer said.

The boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received diversions in the Children’s Court.

Originally published as Melbourne man Sam Chadwick allegedly drove two teens around on vandalism spree in order to be ‘one of the boys’