51 wheelie bins were damaged last night in Armidale. Photo: Fairfax
AN ARMIDALE man is in custody this morning following an alleged rampage which damaged 51 garbage bins and a car on the city's streets last night.
The 22-year-old was arrested in the driveway of a Verna Close home just after 1am following a spate of malicious damage reports to garbage bins in 35 locations across Armidale.
Senior officers said the man allegedly drank a glass of wine before driving his Hyundai Elantra to the Giraween shopping centre where he then purchased more alcohol.
Police allege while driving back to the Armidale CBD, the man veered off the road on Markham St and crashed into one garbage bin before hitting seven more bins and a parked car on Erskine St.
He then reportedly mounted a footpath in Claude Street before crashing into a further 10 wheelie bins before travelling into McIntosh Crescent, where more bins were damaged.
Officers also allege the man travelled onto the wrong side of the road in Brogan Street, where more garbage bins were damaged, before he continued into Niagara Street, Milson Close and Verna Close.
Police said they responded to a "flurry" of calls from residents in the area and in total 51 bins were either damaged or destroyed.
One car was also damaged during the alleged incident.
Police investigations later led them to a house on Verna Close where officers allegedly found the man sitting in the driver's seat of the Elantra, which was parked in the drive way.
He was removed from the car and questioned by police who allege he displayed "obvious signs of intoxication."
Today the man is expected to be charged with offences including driving under the influence and malicious damage.
A senior police officer said while the alleged incident might have seemed like a "funny prank" at the time, it had been "highly dangerous".
