Tasmania Police have dropped a charge against YouTuber Anthony Lees, known as ‘Spanian’, following a “significant disturbance” in Bridgewater earlier this year.
The 38-year-old from New South Wales was arrested on April 13 after visiting the greater Hobart suburb as part of his ‘Into the Hood’ video series.
As first reported by Pulse, Lees, who has over 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube, was charged with instigating the commission of a simple offence and was due to appear in Hobart Magistrates Court.
Southern District Commander Jason Elmer said the incident was ‘unacceptable’ and emphasised that such behaviour ‘will not be tolerated by police or the local community’.
Elmer said on Wednesday while charges against Lees won’t be pursued, police have taken action against several others allegedly involved in the incident.
Multiple individuals have been charged with offences related to hooning, public disorder and property damage, with investigations leading to the seizure of several vehicles.
In his video uploaded to YouTube days after the incident, which now has 944,000 views, Lees said that upon returning to his hotel in the Hobart CBD, police “raided” his room, arrested him and held him in custody.
“I didn’t ask them to be there. I didn’t host an event, what do you want me to do? I’m allowed to walk the streets,” he said.
“If I go to a shopping centre, people gather up and bunch around me. If I stand in the wrong spot for too long, people gather up and bunch around me.”
“If they have a fight, it’s got nothing to do with me.”
