Looks like Melbourne’s most elusive feathered friend has had its wings clipped. If you’ve walked literally anywhere in the city, it’s likely that you would have seen “Pam the Bird”.
She has been the talk of the town, popping up on everything from skyscrapers to road signs for over a year now. But it seems the jig is up for this high-flying graffiti artist.
Jackson Gibson-Burrell, a 21-year-old from Yarraville, was arrested on January 30 and has since faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on more than 50 charges. The alleged bird-brain is accused of graffitiing landmarks including the Flinders Street Station clock tower, the “Cheese Stick” column on CityLink, as well as Channel Nine’s Docklands headquarters, and concrete silos in Geelong.
Victoria Police Senior Constable Scott Nicholls didn’t mince words and described Gibson-Burrell as “a notorious vandal” who was sometimes violent, and desperate to “maintain his status” in the city’s graffiti scene, per the ABC.
“The distinct cartoon bird graffiti is instantly recognisable to many people, even those with a less than passing interest in the Melbourne graffiti scene,” Nicholls added.
One of Pam’s most high-profile roosting spots was the heritage-listed Flinders Street Railway Station clock tower. On July 10 last year, the bird and the phrase “my clock” were spray-painted on the building, leaving a clean-up bill of more than $24,200.
But Pam’s adventures didn’t stop there. The cartoon bird was spotted as recently as January 20 atop the Novotel Hotel at South Wharf. How did Pam get up there?
The total damage bill for all of Pam’s artistic endeavours? $100,000.
Police also arrested 39-year-old Mathew White from Abbotsford, charging him with more than 20 criminal damage offences related to graffiti on suburban trains and a Docklands office building.
Police allege that White helped Gibson-Burrell with the alleged vandalism, supposedly helping him to abseil from dangerous heights.
During their investigation, Victoria Police executed search warrants at addresses in Yarraville and Abbotsford. They seized items including spray paint, illegal fireworks, abseiling equipment, and property suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
Both men are currently behind bars, awaiting a bail decision on Tuesday. It seems Pam the Bird might be caged for a while.
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