Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Ex-NBL player refused bail

The man accused of throwing rocks at the Sydney Lindt Cafe, and assaulting police officers, has been refused bail at Sydney's Central Local Court.

Luke Martin for the Hawks
Former NBL player Luke Martin has been charged over the vandalism of the Lindt Cafe. (AAP)

Former NBL player Luke Martin has appeared in court after being charged over the vandalism of the Lindt Cafe in Sydney's Martin Place and the assault of two police officers.

Martin, 34, was refused bail after facing Central Local Court on Wednesday charged with multiple offences, including malicious damage and assault.

Police will allege the former Sydney Kings player threw rocks at the Lindt Cafe, was involved in a police pursuit, and broke the jaw of an officer trying to arrest him on Tuesday night.

"The facts are somewhat disturbing," magistrate Megan Greenwood told the court, later adding, "There is something puzzling about this."

The court heard Martin has no prior criminal history and is currently unemployed.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

He has been accused of throwing rocks at the Martin Place cafe on Tuesday night, the scene of December's Sydney siege which ended in the deaths of gunman Man Haron Monis and hostages Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson.

Police allege Martin was caught driving recklessly through inner Sydney on Tuesday evening, which led to a police pursuit.

When police tried to arrest him, he allegedly assaulted a police officer, breaking his jaw, and resisted arrest around 11.30pm.

According to court papers, the second, less serious assault of another police officer occurred around five hours later.

Martin, a two-time NBL championship-winning player with the Kings, last played in the NBL earlier this year on a short-term contract with the Perth Wildcats.

His most recent playing stint was with the Brisbane Spartans in the semi-professional South East Australian Basketball League.

The matter has been adjourned until June 12.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world