Row on fence to play out in court

A MAN charged with vandalising a neighbour’s mural at Kanimbla Heights plans to contest his charges.

Larry Dawson, 67, appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court yesterday charged with wilful damage after police alleged he used a substance to damage parts of the artwork that runs along a shared fence on Parrot Close.

Magistrate Janelle Brassington adjourned Mr Lawson’s case until March 7 to give prosecution and defence teams time to call witnesses and prepare cases.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Dorothy Bishop said Mr Lawson would get a hearing over the charges.

“Those charged have got the right to contest charges,” she said.

“The magistrate made a call-over so we can get witnesses to come to court.”

Mr Dawson started a petition late last year to get a neon teddy bear mural removed from a neighbouring property because it “trashes the street”.

Adam and Loren Rowden commissioned aerosol artist Kane Maneylaws to paint the mural on the fence that runs parallel to their driveway.

The couple said they hoped the mural, which featured three smiling bears representing the family’s children, would enable district ambulance officers to more easily locate their home after repeated TOOK OFF-ENCE: Kanimbla man Larry Dawson is unhappy about a neighbour’s mural. visits over the previous 18 months. It is understood the alleged offence with which Mr Dawson has been charged happened at about 2.50am on January 17 and was captured on CCTV.

The mural was at the centre of a neighbourhood rift in December last year.

As part of the dispute, dog faeces and paint were also smeared on the fence.

The Rowdens previously said they spoke with neighbours before the artwork was completed and no concerns were raised.

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