Men to face court over Summernats assaults

Two men – a 30-year-old from Banks and a 33-year-old from Chifley – will face the ACT Magistrates Court later this month charged in relation to assaults that occurred at the Summernats festival earlier this year.  

About 4.35pm on Saturday, 6 January 2024, a group of men entered the Summernats ‘cruise route’ - a designated vehicle-only area - on foot, before the group were confronted by security and crowd safety staff.  

Police allege about this time, the 30-year-old man and the 33-year-old man, who were both working as crowd safety staff, assaulted a number of patrons.  

Following a review of CCTV and mobile phone camera footage, police applied for and were granted search warrants in relation to persons of interest related to the assaults.  

On Friday, 9 February 2024, police executed warrants at residences in Chifley and Banks, where items relating to the alleged offending were seized.  

The 30-year-old man was arrested at the Banks residence, while the 33-year-old man was arrested on 12 February after presenting himself to Gungahlin Police Station.  

The 30-year-old will face a total of six charges – three counts of reckless threat to kill a person, two counts of joint commission recklessly inflict actual bodily harm, and one count of recklessly inflict grievous bodily harm.   

The 33-year-old has been charged with one count of recklessly inflict grievous bodily harm.  

Both men are scheduled to appear in court on 21 March, 2024.  

Investigations into the assaults at Summernats 2024 remain ongoing, and further arrests are anticipated.   

MEDIA ENQUIRIES  

POLICE MEDIA — (02) 5126 9070,  act-police-media@afp.gov.au