Yahoo Lifestyle Cyclist caught allegedly 'targeting' cars in broad daylight, causing thousands in damages
A 'well-dressed' elderly cyclist has been allegedly keying cars in Brisbane for months, according to one victim.
A “regular, well-dressed” cyclist has been caught on CCTV allegedly repeatedly keying cars in broad daylight on an inner-city street in Brisbane. Local man Mick Brown claimed an “elderly” man has been “targeting” the same vehicles parked in Woolloongabba for several months, costing thousands of dollars in damages.
The first incident occurred on September 29 and was caught on security cameras, he told The Courier Mail. Footage obtained by the paper shows the man riding his bike down the street with his right arm extended out as he passes two Utes and an SUV. He appears to have a sharp object attached to a lanyard in his hand.
“This act cost myself and the owner of the other two vehicles in excess of $10,000 in repairs,” Brown said.
Cyclist repeatedly keys cars, local claims
Brown said the cyclist struck again on December 30 after “repairs were completed on all three vehicles”. Two of the three same cars were damaged again, “causing thousands and thousands of dollars in damage”, he said, adding a third incident took place over the weekend on May 5.
“While these appear to be targeted attacks neither myself nor the other victim know or recognise this person,” he told The Courier Mail. “It is becoming quite distressing and this individual needs to be stopped.”
Yahoo News Australia has contacted Queensland Police for comment.
Earlier this year, an elderly couple pleaded guilty to keying two luxury cars at a Brisbane shopping centre. Raymond Edwards and wife Barbara were captured on camera approaching the vehicles at the Brookside Shopping Centre in late October, both keying a Tesla. The court was also told Raymond also keyed a white BMW parked next to the Tesla.
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Why do people key cars?
In an interview with Drive last month, President of the Australian Psychological Society, Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe, said people may feel the need to key someone’s property because they're “unable to process their feelings or experience them in a healthy and safe way” and instead resort to “more destructive behaviour”.
Clinical psychologist Dr Kayleigh Young told the publication she believes “an inferiority complex” is a more likely rationale, as well as “animosity and conflict between two individuals, jealousy regarding the vehicle or a perceived injustice or inconvenience such as someone parking too close…”
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