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SYDNEY - A Sydney man accused of stealing an ex-army tank and demolishing a string of mobile phone towers also damaged another tank before his multimillion-dollar rampage.
John Robert Patterson, 35, was formerly refused bail for a second time in Penrith Local Court after allegedly leading police on a chase through six western suburbs on Saturday.
Police say the privately owned Trojan armoured personnel carrier, usually hired out for weddings and monster truck shows, was used to ram seven mobile phone towers and fences.
Outside court, an insurance industry source said the estimated total cost of the damage to the antennas and surrounding property was at least A$6 million ($6.7 million).
Police said Patterson stole the A$1 million black ex-British Army tank from his former employer, A-One Lift Truck Services. It's alleged that before stealing the tank, Patterson also damaged a British-made FV432 APC.
Former employer Greg Morris told reporters Patterson had once done telecommunications work for the army and believed mobile phone waves had harmed his mental state.
Patterson has been charged with 15 offences, including predatory driving, possession of a prohibited drug and eight counts of malicious damage.
- AAP
