Tanked

Drugs, vengeance and a tank are a dangerous mix, especially on the streets of western Sydney.

John Robert Patterson, 45, of the Sydney suburb of Dharruk, has been charged with predatory driving and six counts of malicious damage. He was arrested early yesterday after police encountered an armoured personnel carrier destroying an electricity substation in the suburb of Minchinbury. In the next 90 minutes, the tank brought down four Telstra mobile phone towers and damaged three Optus towers. The rampage continued until the vehicle stalled on the way to another phone tower.

Patterson’s neighbours said he had been a technician for Telecom, now Telstra, who received a compensation pay-out about 15 years ago after a head injury. He was also believed to have worked on tanks in the army in the past, as well as for the company he stole the tank from, A-One Lift Truck Services, which hired the tank out … it was popular with school formals (rolling up in a tank beats a limo I guess?)

The full list of charges against him includes malicious damage; breaking, entering and stealing; predatory driving; possession of a prohibited drug; use of a weapon to avoid apprehension; and driving in a dangerous manner.

So there you go, a grudge against Telstra, drugs, and access to the tank all combined to make it a wild night.