Leichhardt, Sydney mystery as a stately $2million house is viciously attacked with red paint

It is a picture-perfect cottage on a quiet, tree-lined street in an upmarket neighbourhood of Sydney’s inner west.

But at some point in the early hours of Monday morning it was hit by vandals intent on causing distress, alarm – and tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

They sprayed litres of blood-red paint across the pristine white walls of the $2million two-bedroom home where a widow in her 80s is understood to live on her own. 

The incident has completely baffled her neighbours in Leichhardt – with locals offering up numerous theories, but few answers, as to why the house was brazenly attacked, and who was the sinister figure responsible. 

One lady living several doors down, who did not want to give her name for fear of being targeted herself, said she was ‘completely mystified’ by the attack. 

Daily Mail Australia visited on Wednesday while the clean-up operation was underway

‘I was the one who rang the police after my husband called me on his way to work in the morning,’ she said.

‘The poor lady was really shaken up and upset. What a sad and horrible thing to do to an old lady – especially for a lady who lives on her own.

‘We’ve never seen anything like it – it’s a pretty friendly street. To do that to an old widow who lives on her own is just disgusting.’

Another neighbour in the suburb known fondly as Little Italy because of its Italian delis and trattorias, was more blunt. 

‘Scum – utter scum,’ he said. 

‘My wife saw it on Facebook so I went and had a look. It’s disgusting. She’s a lovely girl and I don’t know why they would have done it but they’re scum.’ 

The man, who is new in the area, said he would install CCTV outside his home. 

Daily Mail Australia visited on Wednesday while a painstaking day-long clean-up operation was underway.

Despite starting around 9am, the four-man cleaning team were still going late into the afternoon using power hoses, scrubbing brushes and micro-fibre cloths.

‘It’s oil-based red paint and it stains like buggery,’ one of the cleaners said.  

The victim of the appalling attack, who has lived in the house for over 30 years declined to speak about the upsetting incident. 

It is believed the heritage-listed house was renovated in 2019.

An elderly man living across the road said he thought it was ‘youths’ who were responsible.

Neighbours were left ‘completely mystified’ by the attack with one branding the vandals ‘scum’

‘It happened in the middle of the night. When she woke up in the morning it was there. I reckon they filled those plastic water guns with paint and sprayed it,’ he said.

‘How else would they have shot it up that high? It’s on the roof. There’s a big jacaranda out in front of the house so they would be well hidden while they were doing it.

‘She’s lovely, very friendly. We know her to say hello. Often she’s out walking with her daughter.

Another neighbour said: ‘It’s cowardly and totally baffling,’

‘They must have targeted the house for some reason, even if it’s a case of mistaken identity. Like if it was kids being stupid there’s an empty old hotel across the road they could have sprayed.’  

A customer in the Billy Lou Kids Shoe shop at the end of the street said she was ‘shocked’ by the act of vandalism.

‘It’s a lovely area, very family-oriented from little kids to teenagers,’ she said.  

‘It’s a friendly area too – people look out for each other. But you can have rat bags anywhere.

Another added: ‘It’s a really nice, quiet area. I haven’t known anything to happen like this in the past.’

There was an outpouring of anger at the vandals and support for the victim on social media.

Denise Tierney wrote said it was ‘like a murder scene’.

It’s vile and hurtful to the poor resident.’ 

The house (pictured) is worth an estimated $2million 

Annie Gripton said she hopes the police ‘arrest whoever is responsible’.

‘How awful and frightening for those living there,’ she wrote.

‘I walked past this afternoon and was just gobsmacked.’

John McWhorter commented: ‘Oil-based paint, too. It will be an expensive nightmare to clean. An awful act of vandalism done I’d guess with a super-soaker of some sort.’

Police remained tight-lipped over possible motivations for the vandalism.

‘Officers from Leichhardt Police Area Command received a report of vandalism on Monday (20 March 2023),’ a NSW Police spokeswoman said.

‘Inquiries are continuing into this incident.’