A 70-year-old man who vandalised the office of Federal Lindsay MP, David Bradbury, has told police that 2GB radio presenter Ray Hadley was one of the contributing factors in his decision to commit the act.
The Penrith man, who had no previous criminal record, faced Penrith Local Court this week after being charged with using a black permanent marker to graffiti the office of the local member.
On May 20 at about 11.30am, the man used a back marker to cross out the name on Mr Bradbury’s local office door, to read “GONE: Federal Member for himself” instead of “Federal Member for Lindsay”.
He then entered the office and threw in a white, plastic bag that contained two newspaper clippings and a Labor pamphlet, all of which had been written on in black marker.
The man then went outside the office and wrote on Mr Bradbury’s window, “Member for who?” before walking away down High Street.
A staffer at the office went to Penrith Police Station and reported the matter, with the man arrested not long after the incident.
According to documents tendered to Penrith Local Court, the man was cooperative with police and admitted to committing the act.
He told police in an electronically recorded interview that he vandalised Mr Bradbury’s office because, “I was listening to Ray Hadley and I was so angry”.
Because of the man’s age and lack of criminal record, the man was dismissed from court without a conviction but warned not to commit such an act again.
Mr Bradbury said it was not the first time such an incident had happened.
“Ray Hadley’s personal attacks and regular anti-Bradbury rants have incited a number of unfortunate incidents involving me and even occasionally my family,” he said.
“I must confess, I don’t waste a lot of time thinking about Ray Hadley.”
