An alleged brass bandit has denied stealing "highly sought-after" material from the seats at a public park in the dead of night.
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Jai Liam Glover, 40, also scoffed at media interest in his case as he left the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday following his first appearance on a charge of theft.
Police charged the Canberra man in November and released CCTV footage that allegedly shows him removing the brass fittings from seats at Henry Rolland Park in Acton on September 26.
Investigators pinpointed Mr Glover as the alleged thief through his brother's car, which he is accused of using in the heist.
In a statement announcing the arrest, police said the ACT government had expanded the Public Safety CCTV Network into Henry Rolland Park following a similar theft of brass in 2018.
"Brass is a highly sought-after item and people buying second-hand equipment of this value should always question where it has come from," Detective Sergeant Jason Dziubinski said.
"It is fortunate CCTV is installed at Henry Rolland Park to enhance public safety and help ACT Policing investigate crime.
"It shows how beneficial CCTV can be to a successful investigation."
Mr Glover was granted police bail in November and ordered to front court for the first time on Friday morning.
During a brief appearance, he did not enter a plea and asked Magistrate James Lawton for an adjournment that would allow him to obtain legal advice.
But he denied being the brass bandit as he left court, saying: "Wasn't me."
Mr Glover also laughed with another man and made light of reporters' interest in his matter, jokingly commenting: "Oh, it's a big story."
He is due back in court on February 19.
