A basketballer has been charged with the vandalism of Sydney’s Lindt Cafe, the site of a deadly siege last year, and was denied bail on Wednesday.

Luke Martin, 34, was charged with several offences, including driving in a dangerous manner, causing a police pursuit (Skye’s Law), assaulting police occasioning actual bodily harm and resisting arrest.

He was also charged with malicious damage relating to throwing the rocks at the Lindt Cafe, which reopened on March 20 this year three months after a 16-hour stand-off with police which left three people dead.

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Martin has played for the Sydney Kings and the Perth Wildcats in the NBL.

Officers were called to the Martin Place cafe just after midnight on Wednesday to find rocks had been thrown at the building, shattering glass windows.

Basketballer Luke Martin, who was arrested over vandalism of the Martin Place Lindt Cafe. Photo: AAP

Martin was arrested later on while driving through the Sydney CBD the wrong way down Elizabeth Street, police allege.

Police said the 5’11” basketballer broke an officer’s jaw during the arrest.

While being questioned police decided to charge Martin with vandalism of the cafe.

Martin was denied bail after the magistrate deemed he was an unacceptable risk to the community.

He appeared in Sydney’s Central Local Court with his shirt ripped across his chest, according to the report.

Police prosecutor Mark Gorman said there was a strong case as CCTV footage showed a man with a bag of rocks.

He also said that Martin remained a risk to the public.

“[He has] a demonstrated ability and willingness to endanger public safety in order to avoid apprehension,” he said.

“In context … he’d have to be aware of the sensitivity of the broader community of the Lindt Cafe.”

Martin’s lawyer Lucinda Opper said he had no criminal history.

“He’s never been in custody or arrested before,” she said.

Martin appeared in court on Wednesday morning in a ripped shirt. Photo: ABC / Vincent de Gouw

Ms Opper said Martin was out of work.

Magistrate Megan Greenwood in refusing bail said that some of the allegations were disturbing and reiterated the seriousness of some of the charges, including the assault on police.

“Despite the fact that you have no criminal history, it’s difficult to understand the circumstance,” she said.

“There’s something puzzling about this.”

The cafe re-opened in March after a fatal siege took place in December 2014, where hostages Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson were killed during the final moments of the 17-hour ordeal, along with the gunman Man Haron Monis.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the incident was not linked to the siege.

“Any attack on that particular location is outrageous,” Commissioner Scipione said at a press conference on Wednesday.

NSW 
Police Minister Troy Grant said he shared Commissioner Scipione’s “disgust”.

“I’m relieved that it’s not related to the events of last year,” he said.

“It’s a significant place in our nation’s history now, because of the terrible events that occurred.”

Man assisting with inquiries after rocks thrown at a #MartinPlace cafe this morning. He was arrested on an unrelated matter earlier today.

— NSW Police (@nswpolice) June 3, 2015

It was back to business as usual after police gathered evidence at the scene, with the cafe again opening its doors about 10.30am on Wednesday.

At least six holes could be seen in the glass on the side of the cafe that fronts Martin Place, while shattered glass was left scattered inside the cafe.

Forensic police examine the Lindt Cafe after the windows were broken by a vandal. Photo: ABC

– with ABC