The cyclist at the centre of a road rage video that went viral was charged for keying the driver’s car and was forced to apologise after the attack.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal Jack McDonnell, 29, admitted to running a key along Michael Giarrusso’s 4WD as he rode along side of it in St Kilda, Melbourne.
The video went viral after the footage of Giarrusso’s savage retaliation was posted online by Australian Cycle Alliance last week and quickly spread across the world.
Jack McDonnell was forced to admit he keyed a driver’s car, which resulted in his attack
The SUV driver was driving alongside a cyclist, who was riding inside the bike lane, down a two way street when he sharply swerved his car
McDonnell fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in August and admitted his guilt to a single charge of criminal damage with intent to damage or destroy.
He was placed into the court’s diversion program for first time offenders where he agreed to write a letter of apology to Giarrusso.
Under the plan, offenders are not required to enter into formal pleas and do not have criminal convictions recorded under their names.
The apology letter was received by the driver within a month and the diversion plan was discharged on September 3.
Jack McDonnell, 29, was charged with criminal damage after keying a stranger’s car
But before he even had a chance to make sure he wasn’t injured in the accident, the driver had parked his car, blocking off a side street’s access to the main road
McDonnnell, a language expert who previously worked in France, has further angered police after taking to social media this week to out Giarrusso as the driver in the video.
The Queensland native branded Giarrusso a ‘coward’, naming him and providing his home address and mobile phone number, which has since been disconnected.
‘Let him know what you think of his driving,’ he posted on Dash Cam Owners Australia Facebook page.
The post remains active on the site despite police concerns.
Both men have been contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment.
A post outing the driver’s name, address and phone number was posted on social media
Giarrusso’s dad, John Giarrusso, told Daily Mail Australia he was furious with the social and mainstream media coverage his son had received.
Giarrusso was named in a one-sided article written by The Age on Tuesday.
‘It’s in the hands of solicitors at the moment,’ he said.
‘It’s totally incorrect, so the solicitor is looking after this … this is total a fabrication. They don’t know the whole story of this so this is why it’s in the hands of solicitors.’
The driver’s mum, who wished to remain unnamed, said cyclists should be registered with number plates like any other road user.
‘I think motorists get the blame a lot for what cyclists do,’ she said.
Giarrusso, 27, of Bentleigh East, was forced to front court over his savage retaliation against the cyclist.
The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court confirmed Giarrusso initially faced five charges over the incident, but pleaded guilty to just one charge of recklessly causing injury after accepting a deal from prosecutors.
He was fined $1000 without conviction and ordered to pay $81 in court costs.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal Giarrusso has had various run ins with the law and had been serving a community corrections order when the incident happened.
The order was to run until December 8 this year.
Cyclist Jack McDonnell, 29, was knocked off his bike after keying a bloke’s car
An enraged Michael Giarrusso side swipes the cyclist, sending him flying across the footpath
The dash cam footage that shocked the world showed a then unknown Giarrusso side-swipe McDonnell in the bike lane and send him flying onto the footpath.
The enraged driver then jumped out of his Nissan Patrol 4WD and yelled at the visibly shaken cyclist before throwing his bike into the bushes near Inkerman Street.
After his tirade against the cyclist, he jumped back into his car and continued his journey.
Edward Hore, the original poster of the footage and president of the Australian Cycle Alliance, defended the cyclist when contacted by Daily Mail Australia upon releasing the footage.
‘Nothing can excuse the recklessness of the driver. Nothing justifies the attack and the brutality. This is occasioning death,’ he said.
The footage followed a spate of road rage incidents targeting cyclists.
Cyclists were urged earlier in the year to fit cameras to their bikes to record any incidents of dangerous driving.