A 20-year-old man has been charged over damage to a New Norfolk sporting ground at the weekend that forced a children’s football club off its home oval for more than two weeks.
The Bridgewater man was arrested in Gagebrook on Tuesday by detectives from Bridgewater CIB, who had been investigating a series of offences across Tasmania’s south-east.
Police will allege he is responsible for a number of burglaries and car thefts in Bridgewater, Glenorchy and the wider region, as well as the damage to Tynwald Park oval.
He faces more than 40 charges, including one count of aggravated burglary, four of burglary, three of motor vehicle stealing, one of destroying property and 23 of breaching bail.
He was remanded to appear in court today.
Vehicles were driven across the turf at Tynwald Park and the nearby New Norfolk Sports Centre on Saturday night, leaving deep tyre ruts and burnout marks hours before a junior game was due to be played.
Derwent Valley Mayor Michelle Dracoulis criticised those responsible in a social media post.
“It doesn’t get more pathetic than this,” she said. “Destroying kid’s footy grounds the night before game day.”
The New Norfolk Junior Football Club, whose home ground is Tynwald Park, cancelled all of Sunday’s games and suspended training.
Club president Justin Derksen said the damage had upset the club.
“The wilful, reckless, blatant and deliberate act of vandalism against our home ground at Tynwald Park has left our club saddened,” he said.
The club estimates the damage at between $5,000 and $10,000.
Repairs are already under way, with the council replacing fencing and laying the first layer of top dressing on the oval.
Derksen said the ground would stay shut until July 6, with training and home games moved to nearby Boyer Oval.
He thanked the council, the New Norfolk District Football Club and the community for their support.
The club is urging anyone with information to contact police.
