Tank rampage in Sydney

[Keith Webb]

Just spotted this in the evening news. Does anyone have any more details?

A 45-year-old man will appear in court today charged with destroying a number of mobile phone towers in Sydney's west overnight using a restored army tank.

The man has been charged with numerous offences including breaking and entering, stealing, six counts of malicious damage, drug possession, using a weapon and driving in a dangerous manner.

He is due to appear in court later today.

Police say they first spotted the man about 2:00am AEST as he was using the tank to damage an electricity substation at Minchinbury.

Police Chief Inspector Guy Haberley says the man then led officers on a long, but slow, chase through a number of suburbs in Sydney's west.

"Mount Druitt highway patrol followed the vehicle at an approximate speed of 30 kilometres an hour at all times," he said.

During the 90-minute chase police allege the man destroyed a number of mobile phone towers and relay sheds.

Mobile phone coverage in the city's west has been affected as a result.

Source

Oh boy oh boy ... this looks like trouble ... will there be a backlash against old army vehicles and their owners now? THAT was my immediate and first thought to this story.

2nd thought ... who's the driver and did he steal the tank, as I'm assuming?

Yikes ...

Karmen

[Keith Webb]

Just saw the story - looks like a M113 APC.

[Plushy]

More info

Tank rampage case on hold until Monday

Police say six mobile phone towers and an electricity substation were destroyed during the chase. (ABC)

Video: Tank rampage lands Sydney man in court (ABC News) Map: Parramatta 2150
Related Story: Temporary phone towers may be needed after tank rampage A Sydney man has been refused bail on charges of using a restored army tank to destroy an number of mobile phone towers in the city's west.

Dharruk man John Robert Patterson, 45, has appeared in Parramatta Bail court on a range of charges including malicious damage.

It is alleged that early this morning he used an armoured personnel carrier to destroy six mobile phone towers and an electricity substation in Sydney's west during a 90-minute chase by police.

In court today he did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.

The court was told that in an interview with police he said he had "authority to behave in the manner that he did".

The magistrate recommended that he receive psychiatric treatment and the case was adjourned until Monday.


Sounds to me like he stole the tank as he is charged with breaking and entering and stealing .

[Keith Webb]

...but an APC

Apparently stolen from a paintball place in the area.

The media call anything armoured and tracked a tank.

[lynx42]

Not a M113 but a much modified FV432. The owner has two of them and hires them out for the same sort of things you might hire a stretched limo for. The other one is red and fitted up like a limo too. He purchased them in England and has set up a business in Sydney. Saw them on GetAway or some other like show just recently. Hope that there are no repercussions to us all. Rick

[Keith Webb]

I knew something didn't look right...

I recall the red one - it was featured on TV some time ago.

Thanks for the ID and yes, I agree - being tarred by that brush would be a very poor and unfair thing.

[Mike K]

ABC TV 7pm news showed it . They said it was a APC rather than a tank . First thing I thought was ...... here we go ... the do gooders will be out to take our hobby away from us . This isn't the first time this sort of incident has occured and the present world climate ( terrorists ) isn't going to help either . Will it affect the 'year of tracked vehicles' next March ?

Mike

[Pedr]

Tank driver 'had beef' with phone towers

By Brenden Hills and Ellen Connolly

July 15, 2007 01:00am
Article from: The Sunday Telegraph

A FORMER Telstra worker allegedly stole a tank and used it to demolish six mobile phone towers as he led police on a wild two-hour rampage through western Sydney yesterday.

More than 20 police chased the tank but were powerless to stop it, retreating to a safe distance as the huge vehicle cut a path of destruction through six suburbs.

They could only watch as the driver, hanging out of the top at times, allegedly rammed the tank through fences and into six mobile phone towers, telecommunication relay sheds and an electrical substation.

The damage caused major disruptions to mobile phone services in Sydney's west yesterday.

The divorced father allegedly stole the 1967 Trojan armoured personnel carrier (APC) from his former workplace, A One Lift Truck Service, at Minchinbury.

His former boss, Greg Morris, said the man had a beef with mobile phone towers.

"He used to work for Telstra and told us he was going through a medical claim for his head injury. He said something about the radiation from the towers had caused it," Mr Morris said.

"He actually worked on the tank he stole, doing a lot of wiring and putting the engine in."

The drama began at 2am when the ex-British Army tank - complete with steel tracks and replica gun turret - was taken from a holding shed and headed straight for its first target: an electricity substation at Michinbury.

The tank then allegedly rammed a police car as it drove from the Mount Druitt Hospital car park.

At its maximum speed of 52km/h per hour, it continued on through the suburbs of Mount Druitt, Dharruk, Emerton, Glendenning and Plumpton with 10 police vehicles in pursuit.

Several times police were forced to retreat when the driver allegedly swung the tank towards them.
He taunted police by leaning his head out the side window to wave at them.

The joyride ended at 4am when the vehicle stalled as the driver attempted to destroy a seventh mobile phone tower.

Police used capsicum spray to subdue the man, who was dragged head first from the tank by officers.

Mr Morris said he bought the tank from the British military.

He restored the vehicle, which is valued at $1 million, and he hires it out for weddings and for motor shows.

A colleague who would not be named said the man who stole the tank had a "vendetta" against phone towers.

"He told us he'd worked for a government agency where he had to work around the towers and got radiation poisoning."

"So he planned out a map of where the towers were that he wanted to destroy."

Mr Morris said he was "devastated" at the news.

'I can't believe it."

Mr Morris described the man responsible for the carnage as a "quiet, well spoken" man.

He left in December but Mr Morris saw him often.

"We were mates, he'd call in for a chat and a few beers."

"The problem he's got is not with us. It's just that it's the tool he needed to do it."

The chase attracted a lot of attention with drivers following the tank.

"It's not something you see in Mount Druitt every day," William Errington, 26, said.

Another local resident expressed similar disbelief after being woken up by her partner to chase the tank.

"Mick said we were going to follow a tank and I thought yeah a fuel tanker. Then the thing drove past us," said Oakhurst resident "Ally".

Mount Druitt Chief Inspector Guy Habberly said the man had not been drinking and did not appear to be affected by drugs.

Yesterday John Robert Patterson, 45, of Dharruk, appeared in Parramatta Court charged with stealing the tank, dangerous driving and malicious damage.

He did not enter a plea or apply for bail and he was remanded to appear in Penrith Court tomorrow.

His defence lawyer Ivan Bertoia told the court that in a police interview his client "suggested he had the authority to behave in such a manner".

Magistrate Terry Forbes said there was a strong case to be made for the case to be dealt with under the Mental Health Act.

Not particularly good for the hobby. Rick's correct they were on A Current Affair within the last week.

Let's see what knee jerk reaction our media make of this little lot.

Importantly if you are approached by the local "friendly" reporter / camera crew to do a piece regarding collecting armour......be very careful.....these people have a tendancy to lie and change the whole slant of a piece to their own needs.

P.S. on reading again.....good if you own an FV432. If this clunker is worth $1mill AUST, what would a properly restored one be worth?????

Originally posted by Pedr
Let's see what knee jerk reaction our media make of this little lot.

Quite so.
Knowing how officialdom, the media and do-gooders trawl the net for reactions, I'd think it preferable to let the matter drop rather than adding potential fuel.

R.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Richard Notton
... I'd think it preferable to let the matter drop rather than adding potential fuel.

R.

I concur with Richard. Let's let this thread die on the vine, shall we? This could just as easily have been a large dozer or somesuch, but there's no point in exacerbating any potentially negative reaction.