EXCLUSIVE
The burly shopkeeper who allegedly tied three children with cables after catching them swimming in a backyard pool claimed it was the sixth time the children had attacked their parents’ home.
Shocking images posted on Facebook showed a six-year-old girl, a seven-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy crying with their hands tied outside a home in Broome, Western Australia, on Tuesday afternoon.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that air conditioning installation boss Mat Radelic, also known as Matej Radelich, is the tradesman at the center of the viral video.
The 45-year-old was charged with three counts of aggravated assault by Western Australian Police on Wednesday and will appear in court on March 25.
Daily Mail Australia understands the Cable Beach property involved in the alleged trespassing incident is owned by Radelic’s parents.
In the video, Radelic can be heard telling the person recording it: ‘They are on my property. It’s not the first time, six times (this has happened).’
Property records reveal the Conkerberry Road home was listed for sale just three weeks ago.
Mat Radelic, also known as Matej Radelich, has been charged with three counts of assault
Daily Mail Australia can reveal he is the boss of a local air conditioning company
WA Regional Acting Deputy Commissioner Rod Wilde said a neighbor called police at 1.35pm on Tuesday after noticing children swimming in an “unoccupied” pool.
“About 10 minutes later, police received a call from a man who (allegedly) said he had restrained three children for causing damage in that backyard,” Commissioner Wilde said.
“Police responded and located two children at the time – one was gone – who had (allegedly) been tied up with wires at that location.”
Police will allege that a fourth child had also been in the pool, but managed to flee and alert relatives about what was happening.
A woman, related to the girl and seven-year-old boy, livestreamed the ordeal and said the tradie refused to let them go.
“When we tried to go in to pick them up, he pushed me and my mother out of the garden,” she told the newspaper. Western Australia.
The six-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy were tied up with zip ties at the Broome property on Tuesday afternoon.
An earlier photo on Facebook showed a third boy tied up (pictured)
“When we got there, and when that man was pushing me out the gate… the little boy (eight years old) broke the cable ties with his hands and then just jumped over the fence and ran down the road. road.
“It was just annoying, we were so angry at (the tradie) that we were just shouting at him, telling him to let them go, but he just didn’t want to listen to us.”
The relative said Radelic kept saying he was “waiting for the police to arrive.”
She said one of the children also claimed the man told them he was going to “hit them with a big stick.”
St John Ambulance paramedics assessed the children, who have since been reunited with their family.
After officers arrived at the property, Radelic was detained and interviewed.
His company’s website was taken offline after being bombarded with one-star reviews on Google in the wake of the incident, and the company’s phone is turned off.
He was subsequently charged and granted bail to appear at Broome Magistrates’ Court on March 25.
