Police have charged a man in his 40s after a car was driven through the mall of one of Perth’s major shopping centres, causing damage.<\/p>\n
Emergency services say they received reports of a white ute ploughing through the southern doors of the Morley Galleria shopping centre in the early hours of Friday.<\/p>\n
Police said around 4.35am the car was used to force entry into the shopping centre, after a bollard was removed.<\/p>\n
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Doors at the Morley Galleria shopping centre in Perth were damaged when a car was driven through part of the shopping centre overnight.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n
“The vehicle has then been driven through the main doors and into the roller doors of a store,” a police spokeswoman said.<\/p>\n
“The driver was unable to gain entry to the store and drove back out of the shopping centre and away from the scene.”<\/p>\n
Man arrested at pub<\/p>\n
About an hour later the man was apprehended at a nearby pub, which had yet to open.<\/p>\n
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Police arrested a man inside the nearby Russell Inn. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Police have since charged a 46-year-old Morley man with a number of offences, including criminal damage or destruction of property and aggravated burglary on a place.<\/p>\n
The pub owner told the ABC the man followed a worker who was making an early morning keg delivery into the venue.<\/p>\n
He said he had pretended to be a pub worker and poured himself a pint at the bar.<\/p>\n
Inside the Galleria mall on Friday morning, tyre marks were seen on the floor, while the entrance to Target had been cordoned off with white sheeting.<\/p>\n
CCTV vision shows the ute travelling through the closed mall with its headlines on.<\/p>\n
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Some Morley Galleria shops remained closed on Friday after the car was driven through the centre.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Shopping centre owners Vicinity released a statement saying several shops remain closed.<\/p>\n
“Following an incident at the centre in the early hours this morning, we are currently assisting police with their investigation,” the statement read.<\/p>\n
“At this stage, Target has been impacted and is closed, and the entry to the Woolworths Mall will also be closed until further notice.<\/p>\n
“Trading hours for some impacted stores within the Woolworths Mall may vary. All other areas of the centre remain open and trading.”<\/p>\n
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Workers were on the scene today, repairing the damage caused when a car drove through glass sliding doors at Morley Galleria shopping centre in Perth’s east.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Suspect ‘poured himself a beer’<\/p>\n
Publican Harry Sandhu, who owns Russell Inn Bar where the suspect was arrested, said CCTV appeared to show the man driving through a wire fence near the venue and trying unsuccessfully to open the door of the pub while holding a long metal object.<\/p>\n
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A fence was damaged outside the The Russell Inn Bar and Restaurant in Morley. (ABC News: Kenith Png\u00a0)<\/p>\n
Another camera inside the venue appeared to show the man following a keg delivery driver into the venue and searching behind the bar for a glass.<\/p>\n
Upon finding one, he then pours himself a beer from the taps, before the keg delivery driver reappears and confronts him.<\/p>\n
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The man was captured on the pub’s CCTV appearing to pour himself a beer. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
The suspect then walks away from the bar and out of view, before police are seen entering the venue minutes later.<\/p>\n
When he reappears, he removes his jacket to reveal a “best Dad ever” apron, before putting his hands in the air, apparently at the direction of police who have tasers pointed at him.<\/p>\n
An officer is then seen handcuffing him before he is led away.<\/p>\n
Mr Sandhu said the worker who delivered the keg called police, who arrested the suspect.<\/p>\n
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The Russell Inn Bar and Restaurant, where the suspect poured himself a pint after driving through Morley Galleria.\u00a0 (ABC News: Kenith Png\u00a0)<\/p>\n
He said it was disappointing to see a family-owned business targeted.<\/p>\n
“This kind of incident really makes things hard as a small business,” he said.<\/p>\n
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Harry Sandhu, the owner of The Russell Inn Bar and Restaurant in Morley, said it was disppaointing to see his family-run business targeted. (ABC News: Kenith Png\u00a0)<\/p>\n
Mr Sandhu said his wife, who also works at the venue, was frightened after watching the CCTV footage.<\/p>\n
“When she came in the morning, looking at the videos, she feels a little bit scared,” he said.<\/p>\n
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The Russell Inn Bar and Restaurant, where publican Harry Sandhu said the suspect poured himself a pint after driving through Morley Galleria.\u00a0 (ABC News: Kenith Png\u00a0)<\/p>\n
The Russell Inn remained open as usual on Friday.<\/p>\n
Shopping centre woes<\/p>\n