A man who was caught on camera randomly keying cars in inner-Brisbane has has learned his fate in court.
John Lyons pleaded guilty to all eight counts of wilful damage for deliberately, randomly scratching cars with a metal tool in Woolloongabba, Kangarroo Point, Fortitude Valley and New Farm over an eight-month period.
Some of those cars were even damaged on multiple occasions.
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None of the car owners personally know the 51-year-old or have ever had any interaction with him, their cars were simply parked – properly and legally – on the street when Lyons went by.
The only thing the cars had in common was that they were all large cars or four-wheel-drives.
The 51-year-old’s lawyer explained to the court that Lyons was an avid cyclist who had been in accidents involving similar large cars in the past.
The magistrate described his actions as taking revenge against innocent people.
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Lyons will need to serve 120 hours of community service in six months for his actions as well as pay $3500 in compensation.
No conviction was recorded against Lyons with the magistrate taking into account he’s lost his job as a teacher at Queensland University of Technology, as well as his PhD scholarship there, and fallen into financial hardship as a result of media coverage of his behaviour.
“He’s not remorseful,” victim Glenn Maymann told 9News outside court.
“It’s just a waste of time.”
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