An elderly couple keyed luxury vehicles in broad daylight in a fit of road rage, a court has been told.
Raymond Edwards, 70, and his wife Barbara Edwards, 70, each pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday to wilful damage.
The pair were charged after they were caught on camera keying luxury cars at inner north Brisbane’s Brookside Shopping Centre in Mitchelton in October last year.
The footage from the damaged Tesla’s on-board cameras, which was first obtained by 7News, shows the pair weaving through the parked cars before keying the electric car with aim to cause damage.
The court was told Mr. Edwards had also keyed a white BMW parked next to the Tesla.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Josh Kelly said officers had received quotes for the damage to each vehicle, amounting to $2443.61 (about $1,609 USD) for the BMW and $1794.51 ($1,181 USD) for the Tesla.
Sergeant Kelly requested the couple pay the repair costs despite the possibility the car owners might have had insurance.
“It’s the case for whatever reason, there’s been some sort of disagreement with the road users and the defendants have taken matters into their own hands and indiscriminately broken laws,” he said.
“In the circumstances, it’s appropriate restitution be ordered for those amounts regardless or not the people have insurance.
“The community at large sufferers if we rely on the insurance to cover expenses.”
Representing both the Edwards’ in court, defence lawyer, Bruce Peters, said his clients had apologized for the damage they caused.
He explained their outburst was the direct result of an earlier incident where a white Tesla and a white BMW allegedly “cut them off the road and almost forced them into a power pole” about 800m from the Brookside Shopping Centre.
“Once they regained their composure, they continued onto the Brookside Shopping Centre and lo and behold, the two cars that they thought were the ones that cut them off – a white BMW and a white Tesla – were parked adjacent to one another” Mr Peters said.
“They took their frustrations out on the cars.”
The couple were each given a $500 ($330 USD) good behavior bond for 12 months.
Mr. Edwards was ordered to pay $2443.61 ($1,608 USD) in restitution for the damage caused to the Tesla and the BMW, while Mrs Edwards was ordered to pay the remaining $897.25 ($590 USD) for Tesla repair work.
No convictions were recorded.
As they left court, the couple were shielded by their family and friends with umbrellas in a bid to escape being photographed after they claimed they’d been harassed on social media following the release of the video of the cars being damaged.
In court, Mr Peters said a rock had allegedly been thrown at his clients’ house and they’ve been “vilified” online since the video went viral.
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