Reason couple caught ‘keying’ luxury cars in broad daylight is revealed as they front court
The shocking reason why an elderly couple took to 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 both pleaded guilty to malicious damage at the Brisbane Magistrates Court.
They were charged after they were caught on camera keying luxury cars at the Brookside Shopping Center in Mitchelton, Brisbane’s north, in October last year.
The footage from the damaged Tesla on-board cameras, first obtained by 7News, showed the pair weaving through the parked cars before switching on the electric car with the intention of causing damage.
The court was told Edwards had also keyed a white BMW parked next to the Tesla.
An elderly couple crashed into luxury cars in broad daylight in a fit of road rage, a court has been told. Barbara Edwards, 70, is pictured as family members tried to protect her with an umbrella
The Edwards were charged after they were caught keying luxury cars at the Brookside Shopping Center in Mitchelton in Brisbane’s north in October last year.
Police prosecutor Josh Kelly said officers had received quotes for damage to each vehicle, valued at $2,443.61 for the BMW and $1,794.51 for the Tesla.
Sergeant Kelly asked the couple to pay the repair costs, despite the possibility that the car owners had taken out insurance.
“For whatever reason, there has been a disagreement with road users and the defendants have taken matters into their own hands and indiscriminately broken the laws,” he said.
‘In the circumstances it is appropriate that these amounts are repaid, regardless of whether people are insured.
“The community as a whole suffers when we rely on insurance to cover costs.”
Lawyer Bruce Peters represented both Edwards in court and said his clients had apologized for the damage they caused.
He explained that 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 utility pole” about half a mile from the Brookside Shopping Center.
‘Once they regained their composure, they drove on to the Brookside Shopping Center and lo and behold, the two cars they thought were cutting them off – a white BMW and a white Tesla – were parked next to each other. Mr. Peters said.
“They took out their frustrations on the cars.”
The couple were each given a $500 good behavior bond for 12 months.
Raymond Edwards (pictured) and his wife Barbara both pleaded guilty to malicious damage
The couple’s lawyer said they locked the cars (pictured) because of a previous incident in which a white Tesla and a white BMW allegedly ‘cut them off’
Mr Edwards was ordered to pay $2,443.61 in compensation for damage caused to the Tesla and the BMW, while Ms Edwards was ordered to pay the remaining $897.25 for repair work to the Tesla.
No convictions have been recorded.
As they left the court, the couple were protected by their family and friends with umbrellas in an attempt to escape being photographed after they claimed they had been harassed on social media following the release of the video of the damaged cars.
In court, Mr Peters said a rock had allegedly been thrown at his clients’ home and they had been ‘vilified’ online since the video went viral.
Raymond Edwards (center in cream shirt) is pictured on December 11, 2023