Man allegedly destroys poker machines with meat cleaver, hammer
A man has been charged after allegedly going on a rampage at a Sydney club, attacking poker machines with a hammer and meat cleaver.
Police say several pokies were extensively damaged, but no one was injured, during the incident at Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club about 9.30am on Sunday.
A 60-year-old man was arrested and the hammer and meat cleaver were seized from the yard of a nearby unit.
Alliance for Gambling Reform director Tim Costello says it's no surprise some people take out their anger on poker machines.
"It is no surprise when some of the people losing almost $7 billion a year on the pokies in NSW take it out on the predatory machines which are designed to addict and deceive," Mr Costello said in a statement on Sunday.
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"The lax NSW regulatory environment puts little pressure on venues to show a duty of care to people being hurt by a pokies addiction so this lack of early intervention can often lead to people taking extreme measures against the machines as a last resort."
Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club chief executive officer David Mantle said the club was helping police with the investigation.
"Thank God no one was hurt," Mr Mantle said on Sunday.
The man has been charged with destroy or damage property and armed with intent to commit an indictable offence.
He's due to face Burwood Local Court on January 18.
