A shopping center has confirmed it has banned an elderly couple for life after they were caught tinkering with a Tesla and a BMW in the centre’s car park.
Raymond Edwards and his wife Barbara, both 70, were arrested and fined when they were caught on camera holding cars at Brookside Shopping Centre, in Brisbanethe inner north, last October.
And now Greg Plawecki, manager of the mall has revealed the couple’s punishment didn’t end there.
“Mr and Mrs Edwards have been banned from Brookside Shopping Center due to their destructive actions in the car park against other customers’ cars,” Mr Plawecki told Daily Mail Australia.
But the couple can cling to the hope that they will one day be able to shop there.
“This ban is subject to review within 12 months at the request of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards,” Mr. Plawecki said.
‘The assessment is at the center’s discretion and based on demonstrated good behavior since the incident.’
The Ferny Hills couple had no idea that their little act of revenge in the parking lot was picked up by the Tesla’s watch mode camera, leading to them being tracked down and brought to justice.
Raymond Edwards and his wife Barbara, both 70, were arrested and fined when they were caught on camera holding cars (pictured) at Brisbane’s Brookside Shopping Center
Brookside Shopping Center manager Greg Plawecki (pictured) confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that Mr and Mrs Edwards have also been banned from the center for life
On Wednesday, Edwards, 70, told Daily Mail Australia that his and Barbara’s actions that day were “completely out of line”.
Standing outside his home, Mr Edwards said he and Barbara had let frustration get the better of them after they were ‘cut off’ and almost forced into a utility pole by a white Tesla and a white BMW about half a mile from the shops .
Mr Edwards admitted keying the cars was the wrong decision before launching into a tirade about the behavior of motorists.
He also stated that he would never own an electric vehicle and that he would “stand there and clap” if he ever saw a Tesla on fire on the side of the road.
“I regret our actions, but the point is that civility has been thrown out the window and stupidity has been thrown in,” Edwards said.
Mr. Edwards has since invested in a dashboard camera so that he has evidence for authorities to present the next time he and Barbara are run off the road.
‘I constantly see people driving irresponsibly and you see the police in the area doing nothing.’
Mr Edwards, who added that he has never had a criminal conviction, said that in more than 50 years of driving he could count on one hand the number of driving offenses he has been guilty of.
“Whoever teaches these people to drive should take a good look at themselves,” he said.
Last week the couple were convicted after they were caught on camera keeping an eye on the luxury vehicles.
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.
As they left the court, the couple was protected with umbrellas by their family and friends in an attempt to escape the photo.
The ban is subject to review within 12 months at the request of Mr and Mrs Edwards, but is subject to ‘demonstrated good behavior since the incident’
Mr Edwards was ordered to pay $2,443.61 in compensation for the 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.
Mr Edwards, a motorsport enthusiast, told Daily Mail Australia that he and his wife Barbara’s actions at the Brookside Shopping Center in Brisbane’s north last October were “out of character”.
Mr Edwards (pictured) admitted keying the cars was the wrong decision before launching into a tirade about the poor behavior of motorists
“It cost me almost $5,000. “I plan to pay $50 every two weeks until it pays off,” he said.
Mr Edwards claimed he had suffered a heart attack in recent months and his wife remains ‘in poor health’.
He said the couple had been vilified and harassed by the public online in the months since the incident.
“A rock was thrown at our house, it bounced off the railing but could have smashed through a window,” he said.
Mr Edwards is a high-performance car enthusiast, often posing with racing vehicles and attending Supercars events such as the Bathurst 1000.
Mr Edwards’ (middle) wife Barbara (pictured left) shielded her face with a face mask as the couple left court in December
The couple were protected with umbrellas by their family and friends in an attempt to avoid being photographed
“Keyboard warriors have made all kinds of accusations – one said we keyed a Ford Mustang, which is insane – I fully support blue (Ford),” he said.
One car Edwards says he doesn’t plan on getting behind the wheel of anytime soon is an electric car.
“Electric cars – I would never buy one, not that I could afford one,” he said.
“I would love to see a Tesla on fire on the side of the road.
“I got out and stood there and clapped.”