Anthony Lister, one of Australia’s most recognised street artists, is alleged to have sexually assaulted four women, among other offences.
Lister, 40, was arrested after police raided his Darlinghurst home on Tuesday, March 10, and was detained in Surry Hills Police Station. It is alleged he assaulted the women on separate occasions between 2015 and 2018. Additionally, he is accused of tattooing the torso of a heavily intoxicated woman without her consent.
Sydney artist, Anthony Lister, has been charged with the sexual assault of four women. He was arrested in his Darlinghurst home earlier this week.
According to Fairfax media, three of the four women were reported to be art students at the time of the alleged incident.
NSW Police issued a statement on Wednesday morning, outlining the specific charges. Lister faces five counts of sexual intercourse without consent, using an intoxicating substance to commit an indictable offence and causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent.
He is also charged with possessing a firearm, a variety of prohibited drugs, and other weapons. The items include replica pistols, knuckle dusters, as well as the substances methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis.
The arrest follows an investigation that was launched in January by detectives of Surry Hills Police Area Command. Multiple reports of sexual assault in the local area seemed to share a connection. Consequently, two search warrants were obtained, one for Lister’s home and another for an industrial space in Marrickville.
Lister appeared via audio-visual link at Central Local Court on Wednesday. His defence lawyer, Joe Blackshield, requested an adjournment of the hearing to next week, where the defence is expected to make a formal bail application.
Excluding this application, Lister is scheduled to next appear in court on May 7.
