Man accused of vandalising EV charging stations refused bail

A 29-year-old man has been refused bail after facing 26 charges for allegedly damaging electric vehicle charging stations across New South Wales' Central Coast and Newcastle regions. Dylan Hyland was arrested in Kahibah, near Newcastle, where police seized 17 EV charging plugs, large bags of stripped cables, cutting tools, and a taser.

Police prosecutor Simon Steward told the court that the case against Hyland was strong, citing a distinctive white Ford Ranger truck allegedly used to transport stolen copper cables from the damaged charging stations. Steward argued that Hyland's release would endanger the community due to the significant risk of further serious offending.

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There's a distinctive white Ford Ranger truck that's been located nearby or at the sites of where the copper cables or infrastructure have been damaged and then taken.

During the bail hearing, Hyland's defense lawyer, Danka Durovic, highlighted his community connections and religious practice as a Jehovah's Witness. Hyland himself pleaded for release, stating, "I'll do whatever it takes. I'm not a bad person." He offered to provide evidence of others using his car and mentioned an upcoming knee surgery.

Despite these pleas, bail was formally refused. The matter is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday.

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I'll do whatever it takes. I'm not a bad person. I can provide video of other people using my car, it's not me.