Brisbane cyclist pleads guilty to turning on cars as ‘revenge’

John Lyons pleaded guilty to all eight counts of malicious damage to motor vehicles for deliberately, accidentally scratching cars with a metal tool in Woolloongabba, Kangarroo Point, Fortitude Valley and New Farm over an eight-month period.

Some of these cars have even been damaged several times.

None of the car owners personally know the 51-year-old man or have ever interacted with him; their cars were simply parked – correctly and legally – on the street when Lyons drove by.

The only thing these cars had in common was that they were all large or all-wheel drive.

The magistrate called his actions revenge on innocent people.

For his actions, Lyons will have to serve 120 hours of community service over six months and pay restitution of $3,500.

No conviction was recorded by the magistrate against Lyons, given that he had lost his teaching job at Queensland University of Technology, as well as a doctoral fellowship there, and had faced financial difficulties as a result of media coverage of his conduct.

“He’s not remorseful,” victim Glenn Meimann told 9News outside court.

“It’s just a waste of time.”