Police have arrested a 33-year-old Hamlyn Heights man over the alleged theft of Darryn Lyons’ state election campaign signs on Thursday.
Police said the arrest followed the execution of a search warrant on a Hamlyn Heights residence today.
“Detectives located and seized 18 signs,” police said.
The detectives charged the man with one count of theft.
He has been bailed to appear at Geelong Magistrate’s Court on 30 January.
Police confirmed the arrest this morning after photos surfaced of a man in a high-vis vest removing the former mayor’s signs.
A supporter of Mr Lyons’ took the photos and saw folded up campaign signs in the backseat of a silver sedan, reportedly belonging to the alleged thief.
The incident comes after the independent candidate took to Twitter to accuse “thugs” of hammering screws into his campaign bus and cutting his signs.
“To the thugs out there that have to slash tyres, rip down billboards – you’re an absolute disgrace to our society,” he said in a video message.
The vandals damaged the van to stop Mr Lyons going “out early in the morning till night and sell(ing) what I want to do for the Geelong people to them,” he said.
“Stop this kind of crap.”
Labor MP Christine Couzens holds the seat of Geelong by six per cent.
But Mr Lyons, a former Liberal member, could win a primary vote higher than 10 per cent, Labor sources told The Australian recently.
His preferences could decide the outcome of the seat if he directed them to Liberal candidate Freya Fidge ahead of Labor.
More to follow.
