Man 'blew up car' after McDonald's drive-thru altercation
Police say that Ryan Sharp and his partner launched a violent six-week campaign of stalking and harassment against a couple.
Wednesday 3 April 2019 13:41, UK
A man has appeared in court in Australia accused of blowing up a couple's car after they beeped at his partner while in a McDonald's drive-thru.
Ryan Sharp, 33, will remain behind bars after not applying for bail, but will have another chance to do so on Thursday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Police allege that Sharp and his 31-year-old partner launched a six-week campaign of stalking and harassment against a couple, who honked at the partner in a McDonald's drive-thru in February.
The "relatively minor" altercation sparked a campaign of "grievance-fuelled violence", police said, including online threats and a smashed car window.
Sharp, who was not present during the McDonald's altercation, also allegedly detonated a "sophisticated" car bomb on the couple's Ford Rodeo on 5 March.
Australian media reported that the couple had been collecting food at the drive-thru when Sharp's partner swerved dangerously close to their car, resulting in them beeping their horn to express their anger.
Sharp's partner initially reported the couple to the police after following the car and writing down its license plate number.
After the complaint amounted to nothing, police said she and Sharp took the matter into their own hands.
"The work done by this male to identify where the victim lived was quite ingenious and indicated a specific intent," Detective Superintendent Michael McLean said.
"He located the victims' home, [and] we will allege, placed the device under the car where it ultimately exploded sometime later."
Police said the device was powerful enough to seriously injure or even kill anyone who was inside.
Sharp and his partner were arrested on Tuesday at a petrol station. Officers also seized a pipe bomb, drone and baton while searching their car and house.
The charges against Sharp, who is from the Illawarra region, south of Sydney, include placing an explosive on a vehicle with the intent to cause harm and possession or use of a prohibited weapon without a permit.
His partner was charged with being an accessory to damaging property and stalking or intimidating.