Alleged graffiti artist denied bail and may have to wait 18 months for trial

The man accused of spray-painting “Pam the Bird” graffiti around Melbourne faces the prospect of languishing in jail for 18 months until a trial, after a Victorian magistrate denied his bid for bail.

Magistrate Johanna Metcalf said Jackson Gibson-Burrell, 21, would stay behind bars due to risks of an alleged graffiti spree continuing and lives being put in danger.

“I think there’s a risk of continued offending to boost and maintain followers on social media,” Magistrate Metcalf said.

The magistrate said the accused’s life and innocent people could be endangered by unqualified graffiti artists abseiling down buildings.

Alleged creator’s arrest followed year-long investigation

Mr Gibson-Burrell was taken into custody last week after police arrested him following a year-long investigation probing how the Pam the Bird cartoon found its way onto city landmarks.

The Flinders Street Station clock tower, the CityLink “Cheese Stick” column and Channel Nine’s Docklands headquarters were among the locations targeted.

Police alleged Mr Gibson-Burrell acquired more than 75,000 followers on a Pam the Bird Instagram page that promoted the work.

Mr Gibson-Burrell is also charged with alleged break-ins, thefts, the ram-raid of a fast food restaurant, and an attack on a retail shop worker.

The court heard he was fighting charges against him.

Magistrate Metcalf acknowledged there could be legal delays of up to 18 months before his case went to trial.

“It’s obviously a complex case,” she said.

“It is too early to be decisive about the strengths or weaknesses of the prosecution case in its entirety.”

Second man released on strict bail conditions

Matthew Raoul White, 39, an alleged accomplice who stands accused of spraying his own graffiti tags, was released on strict bail conditions, including a nightly curfew.

Mr White, who lives and works in a Abbotsford paint shop, was ordered not to take any items that could be used for graffitiing outside the premises.

The magistrate said the charges against Mr White were less serious than those faced by Mr Gibson-Burrell, and time on remand could be shorter than any potential jail term he would receive.

Wednesday’s decision came as cleaners spent the morning cleaning a black Pam the Bird mural from the top of the Novotel South Wharf, which was painted in January, before the men were arrested.

The magistrate listened to more than 4 hours of evidence from police and cross-examination by the men’s lawyers before announcing her decision.

In detail, officers ran through dozens of offences allegedly committed by the men, including vandalism of city buildings and landmarks.

Officers alleged Mr Gibson-Burrell was the sole creator of Pam the Bird.

Court hears both men have history of graffiti crimes

Police said both men had a history of graffiti crimes. They said Mr Gibson-Burrell was caught the spraying Pam the Bird on a Queensland train and spraying a rail worker in the face.

Mr White also spent 100 days in a United States prison for tagging trains. the court heard.

On Tuesday, it was revealed Victoria Police would seek help from the FBI to execute a warrant on Instagram’s parent company, Meta, in an attempt to unmask the owner of the Pam the Bird page.

Police said their circumstantial case against the pair included security footage and phone data evidence, observations by undercover police and items found at the men’s homes.

But defence lawyers said the footage was far from definitive, with Mr Gibson-Burrell’s barrister labelling police handwriting analysis as “nonsense” and “pseudoscience”.

The case will return to court in June.

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