Court bans man from Woolworths amid vandalism allegations
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In a surprising turn of events, a 40-year-old man has been legally barred from entering any Woolworths supermarket across the country.
This unusual ban comes after allegations of the man vandalising multiple Woolworths stores in southeast Queensland.
Travis Matthew Profke, a resident of Ormiston, has been charged with wilful damage.
The charges stem from incidents where Profke allegedly graffitied several Woolworths stores with messages criticising the company's decision not to sell Australia Day merchandise.
Woolworths decided to remove all Australia Day merchandise, stating there had been a ‘gradual decline in demand for Australia Day merchandise over the years’.
The supermarket added that the removal was attributed to the ‘broader discussion’ about the meaning of the 26 January date to different segments of the Australian community.
Profke made his first appearance in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 21 February.
Magistrate Rosemary Gilbert imposed a bail condition that Profke must not come within 50 metres of any Woolworths store.
Profke agreed to the condition and declined to comment to the media as he left the court.
Court documents revealed that Profke is accused of vandalising a Woolworths store in Teneriffe by spraying it with graffiti and setting off a flare at the front door in the early hours of January 15.
He is also accused of similar acts of vandalism at businesses in Cleveland and Victoria Point.
Profke is due to return to court next month to face these charges. If found guilty, he could face serious penalties, including fines and potential jail time.
Other supermarkets and retailers are not spared from such incidents.
In a previous story, a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs was transformed into a fortress after dark.
This drastic measure came after the town had seen a surge in crime, with stolen cars, robberies, violent assaults, vandalism, and gangs of youths roaming the streets becoming almost nightly occurrences. You can read more about the story here.
Have you experienced similar issues in your community? Let us know in the comments below.
This unusual ban comes after allegations of the man vandalising multiple Woolworths stores in southeast Queensland.
Travis Matthew Profke, a resident of Ormiston, has been charged with wilful damage.
The charges stem from incidents where Profke allegedly graffitied several Woolworths stores with messages criticising the company's decision not to sell Australia Day merchandise.
Travis Matthew Profke is barred from entering any Woolworths store nationwide. Credit: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube
Woolworths decided to remove all Australia Day merchandise, stating there had been a ‘gradual decline in demand for Australia Day merchandise over the years’.
The supermarket added that the removal was attributed to the ‘broader discussion’ about the meaning of the 26 January date to different segments of the Australian community.
Profke made his first appearance in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 21 February.
Magistrate Rosemary Gilbert imposed a bail condition that Profke must not come within 50 metres of any Woolworths store.
Profke agreed to the condition and declined to comment to the media as he left the court.
Court documents revealed that Profke is accused of vandalising a Woolworths store in Teneriffe by spraying it with graffiti and setting off a flare at the front door in the early hours of January 15.
He is also accused of similar acts of vandalism at businesses in Cleveland and Victoria Point.
Profke is due to return to court next month to face these charges. If found guilty, he could face serious penalties, including fines and potential jail time.
Other supermarkets and retailers are not spared from such incidents.
In a previous story, a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs was transformed into a fortress after dark.
This drastic measure came after the town had seen a surge in crime, with stolen cars, robberies, violent assaults, vandalism, and gangs of youths roaming the streets becoming almost nightly occurrences. You can read more about the story here.
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