Swiss tunnel skater breaches bail in Australia

 

Dominic Emmenegger, 21, who grabbed headlines with his act of bravado through the Burnley Tunnel last week, was arrested for failing to report to the correct police station, not handing in his passport and for not living at the right address, said a report in the Herald Sun.

Police called for Emmenegger’s bail to be revoked, the paper said, and the Swiss man remained in custody for one night before appearing before a court. A psychiatric assessment showed Emmenegger has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the paper reported.

Emmenegger’s lawyer, who appealed for his client to be re-bailed, said the Swiss went to another police station to the one indicated and tried to hand in his passport there. He was unable to call the police because he had no credit on his phone.

The judge said Emmenegger’s actions were a “publicity stunt” and said she needed more detail before considering his current situation, the newspaper said. A verdict was initially set on June 14.

The Swiss backpacker, from Zurich, said he found himself at the start of the 3.1-km tunnel, put his head down, put on AC/DC on his earphones and set to get through as fast as he could during the morning rush hour. As he sped next to cars and trucks, even falling at one point, he forced many drivers to swerve and stop to avoid collision. He ended up in police custody with only minor injuries and was briefly treated at a local hospital.

Emmenegger pleaded guilty to charges of reckless conduct. He had been backpacking in Australia since January and planned to travel back to Switzerland in two weeks.