Man charged after allegedly failing to comply with police directions after ‘performance stunt’ on Sydney light rail

A teenager has been slammed over “dangerous” stunts on Sydney public transport after he was arrested for allegedly failing to comply with police following one of his “performance art” acts. A 19-year-old, who goes by “Joshua Cherub” online, has dubbed himself the “prince of Town Hall” on his Instagram page, which has amassed a following of more than 10,000. His account contains videos of his “performance art”, which includes him being duct taped to a pillar in the city’s CBD and being covered with paint. In another, he lay hanging from the overhead railings on a Sydney train, held up by duct tape as bystanders touch his face and armpits. He also covered himself with green paint and jumped around with others, also painted green, in another video uploaded to social media. One alleged stunt posted online by the teen, which showed him duct taped to a chair in the city as officers drag the chair and begin removing the tape, resulted in him being arrested and charged. A NSW Police spokesperson said officers conducting patrols in the city on the evening of October 10 saw a large group of people on the light rail at the intersection of George St and Bathurst St, where a 19-year-old man was bound with tape, sitting on a chair. Officers dispersed the group over safety concerns, however the 19-year-old allegedly failed to comply with a move on direction by police. He was charged with refuse/fail to comply with direction, and is expected to front court on November 19. NSW Minister for Transport John Graham slammed the behaviour, claiming it goes beyond “harmless fun”. “It may look like harmless fun, but stunts like this are dangerous on a moving vehicle or a platform,” Mr Graham said in a statement.“They also put other passengers and our staff at risk of harm. “If being on the screen is the aim, people should know the Rail Operations Centre has CCTV across the network 24/7 and works closely with Police Transport Command to target and deter anti-social and reckless behaviour.” Mr Graham added most people wanted to get around safely and on time, and not “become extras in someone’s attempt to cultivate a social media following”. NewsWire has contacted Mr “Cherub” for comment.