The shock reason an elderly couple keyed luxury vehicles in broad daylight was revealed in court on Tuesday.
Raymond Edwards, 70, and his wife Barbara, also 70, acted in a fit of road rage, their lawyer said, as they each pleaded guilty to wilful damage in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
They were charged after being 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, showed 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.
An elderly couple keyed luxury vehicles in broad daylight in a fit of road rage, a court has been told. Barbara Edwards, 70, is pictured as family members tried to shield her with an umbrella
The Edwards’ were charged after being caught on camera keying luxury cars (pictured) at inner-north Brisbane’s Brookside Shopping Centre in Mitchelton in October last year
Police prosecutor Sergeant Josh Kelly said officers had received quotes for the damage to each vehicle, amounting to $2443.61 for the BMW and $1794.51 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 [that] the people have insurance.
‘The community at large suffers if we rely on the insurance to cover expenses.’
Representing both the Edwards’ in court, defence lawyer Bruce Peters said his clients had apologised for the damage they caused.
He explained their outburst was the direct result of an earlier incident in which 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 on to 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 was each given a $500 good behaviour bond for 12 months.
Raymond Edwards (pictured) and his wife Barbara each pleaded guilty to wilful damage
The couple’s lawyer said they keyed the cars (pictured) due to an earlier incident in which a white Tesla and a white BMW allegedly ‘cut them off’
Mr Edwards was ordered to pay $2443.61 in restitution for the damage caused to the Tesla and the BMW, while Mrs Edwards was ordered to pay the remaining $897.25 for Tesla repair work.
No convictions were recorded.
As they left court, the couple was 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 had been ‘vilified’ online since the video went viral.
Raymond Edwards (centre in cream-coloured shirt) is pictured on December 11, 2023