Carol Ann Tidswell’s bizarre car scratching crimes were caught on camera and that proved her undoing

A 74-year-old grandmother targeted numerous victims and was accompanied by her partner when she committed the crimes. The bizarre incident didn’t end there because the drama that played out in the courtroom left everyone scratching their heads.

Carol Ann Tidswell leaves Yeppoon courthouse on September 23, 2021.

A truly bizarre case of a grandmother who was caught on CCTV cameras committing car scratching crimes has played out before a Yeppoon court.

Carol Ann Tidswell, 74, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on September 23 to two counts of wilful damage.

The court heard that Tidswell’s offending related to incidents in April this year and January last year.

The first victim was a man who owned a Mitsubishi Pajero.

His vehicle had been parked in the car park at Keppel Bay Sailing Club, Yeppoon, on January 6, 2020.

On that day, the victim reported to police that his vehicle had two long scratch marks on its right side.

Police attended the scene and retrieved CCTV footage.

That footage showed, at 1pm on the day in question, Tidswell and an “older man” walking towards the victim’s vehicle which was parked right next to theirs.

Both approached the Pajero and looked around.

Tidswell was seen on the footage to walk along the length of the victim’s vehicle, wilfully scratching it.

She then walked to the back of the Pajero before again walking along the length of it and scratching it a second time.

Tidswell and her partner then drove from the scene.

During the April 1, 2021 offence, Tidswell targeted a 2020 model HiLux ute belonging to a business.

The complainant reported to police that the vehicle had one long scratch mark on its left hand-side.

The HiLux had been parked at an underground car park at Yeppoon Central Shopping centre when it was damaged.

Police obtained CCTV footage which implicated Tidswell and again showed her with her partner at the time of committing the offence.

The footage showed that at 10.50am Tidswell got out of a car near the victim’s vehicle, loitered for a short time behind the HiLux, and walked down the side of it with her arm out, wilfully scratching it.

Tidswell and her partner then left the scene.

In May this year, police spoke to Tidswell in relation to both incidents, and she denied committing the damage.

She was issued with a notice to appear in court.

The court heard the damage caused to the second victim’s vehicle was $1562 and restitution was sought for it.

There was no restitution sought for the first vehicle which was covered by insurance.

The prosecution said Tidswell had “limited” criminal history which included a stealing offence that she was fined for, and Tidswell’s solicitor “would no doubt address why she’s scratching motor vehicles”.

But that explanation did not eventuate.

Tidswell’s solicitor said Tidswell was a grandmother and pensioner who accepted the police facts read in court.

“I can’t take it any further than that, Your Honour,” Tidswell’s solicitor said.

Three medical certificates were tendered which outlined Tidswell’s medical conditions that included anxiety, hypertension and poor concentration.

Magistrate Cameron Press asked why no reason was given for Tidswell’s offending.

“Does she know these victims?” Mr Press asked.

The response was “no.”

Mr Press then said he was inclined to place Tidswell on probation.

“There’s clearly issues here that she’s going to have to address, because if she keeps on doing this, she’s going to end up going to jail, ” he said.

“She must get some assistance or help, because both of these (offences) seem quite premeditated.

“That’s why I asked the question, did she know the victims?”

Mr Press told Tidswell’s solicitor that he would stand the matter down while Tidswell spoke to a probation officer.

It was at that point, Tidswell said: “Your Honour, can I just say something? The chap I saw with the video, we went through the video together but it doesn’t actually show me scratching the car. It shows me walking around.”

Mr Press then bluntly said to Tidswell: “You know if you scratched it or not.”

Tidswell replied: “Yes I do know this.”

Mr Press: “Are you telling me you didn’t scratch it?”

Tidswell: “But I have to plead guilty because I don’t want it to go on.”

At that stage Mr Press said: “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, you do not have to plead guilty.

“You know if you scratched these vehicles or not.

“And if you did, then I think there’s an onus on you to say ‘yes, I scratched them’.

“You ordered briefs of evidence because you didn’t want to own up.

“You told police it wasn’t you.

“Well perhaps the first thing you need to do is take responsibility for your actions.

“And one takes responsibility by admitting that they’ve done these actions.”

Tidswell then said: “I’ve done that, I have done that.”

Mr Press followed with: “Yes, right, you did it. So why are you standing up and now trying to make out that look, it wasn’t you on the video?”

Silence followed and Tidswell left the courtroom to speak with a probation officer.

After she returned, Mr Press placed Tidswell on 12 months’ probation and ordered her to pay $1562 restitution.

As she was leaving Yeppoon Courthouse, Tidswell was asked if there was anything further that she wanted to say, like sorry to the victims.

She responded: “Well I am sorry. That didn’t go too well, did it?”