Woman launched a campaign of harassment against couple who beeped at her at a McDonald’s drive-thru, stalking them online before blowing up their CAR
- Couple beeped at woman driver while at McDonald’s drive-thru at Warrawong
- The woman driver is believed to have followed car and recorded number plate
- She took her complaint to police and told her partner about the alleged run-in
- Threats were allegedly sent to couple and improvised explosive placed on car
A couple who beeped a woman driver at a McDonald’s drive-thru had no idea it would spark weeks of harassment and end in their car being blown up.
The pair were at the 24-hour fast food restaurant at Warrawong in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on February 22.
As a car was allegedly about to hit their vehicle, the couple honked their horn at the driver and a ‘relatively minor’ altercation ensued.
A couple who beeped a woman driver at a McDonald’s drive-thru had no idea it would spark weeks of harassment and their car being blown up (pictured, a 31-year-old woman is arrested on Tuesday morning)
As a car was allegedly about to hit their vehicle, the couple honked their horn at the driver and a ‘relatively minor’ altercation ensued (pictured, a 33-year-old man is arrested on Tuesday morning)
What would follow would be a six week long nightmare for the couple, including stalking and death threats, police said.
The offended woman driver took her complaint to Wollongong police and complained to her partner.
She also allegedly followed the car and recorded the number plate.
The next day, the couple who beeped the woman found the window of their ute had been smashed.
Then followed a ‘barrage of online threats’ before the couple’s Ford Rodeo was targeted.
Their vehicle had been parked in the driveway before a ‘sophisticated’ improvised explosive was placed on it in the early hours of March 5.
While the car was not destroyed, Detective Superintendent McLean said the explosion had the potential to injure or kill a person.
‘This was an act of grievance-fuelled violence,’ he told reporters.
Police later arrested a 33-year-old man at Warrawong BP on Tuesday morning, before they later arrested his 31-year-old partner.
A pipe bomb, drone and baton were also seized during searches of a car and house.
Both the man and the woman remain at Wollongong and Lake Illawara Police stations where local detectives and Fixated Persons Investigation Unit investigators are interviewing them.
The man is expected to be charged with using an explosive with an intent to harm, reprisals to a witness, using a carriage service to menace or harass and stalking and intimidation.
His partner is expected to face similar charges.
The Fixated Persons Investigations Unit – a specialist squad set up in 2017 to target potential would-be terrorists or lone actors – was brought in to handle the case after the threats continued.
While the car was not destroyed, detective Superintendent Michael McLean said the explosion had the potential to injure or kill a person
As a car was allegedly about to hit their vehicle, the couple honked their horn at the driver and a ‘relatively minor’ altercation ensued (pictured, McDonalds in Warrawong)
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.