The man who had launched a violent six-week campaign of stalking and harassment against a couple was finally charged.
He appeared in court in Australia and was 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.
“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.”