Sydney police memorial defacer charged

A senior NSW police officer says he is disgusted by the actions of a man who allegedly defaced a police memorial.

A man who allegedly defaced a police memorial and wrote offensive graffiti has been charged with three counts of malicious damage.

The 30-year-old man was arrested near the pedestrian overpass at The Domain in central Sydney on Tuesday afternoon after calls from three women.

NSW police Superintendent David Donohue said it appeared the alleged vandal had written offensive messages about police on the NSW Police Wall of Remembrance, which sits in The Domain.

"Police will allege that this individual was responsible for the damage caused on Friday May 20 and the damage caused last night," Supt Donohue told reporters on Wednesday.

The wall displays more than 250 names of the NSW police officers who have lost their lives on the job, and is the site of the state's annual National Police Remembrance Day service in September.

When the memorial was first damaged, police described the act as a "senseless" desecration.

"No person in their right mind would go about doing this to such a sacred site," Supt Donohue said.

"This is a senseless act that is an insult to all serving police officers in the state of NSW."

Police say the panels in the crest-shaped memorial will have to be deconstructed and professionally polished.


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Source: AAP



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