Brothers Malcolm and Garry Taylor spared jail for demolishing family home in feud
Two brothers have been told the ‘world is laughing’ at their stupidity after they filmed themselves ripping apart their family home in a bizarre family feud.
Two brothers who filmed themselves destroying their family home with an excavator in a “senseless rampage” to spite their sister have been told the world is laughing at them.
Malcolm and Garry Taylor travelled from Queensland to the regional Victorian town of Murtoa in March 2019, claiming they would carry out “renovations” on their late mother’s home.
Instead, the duo hired an excavator and filmed each other ripping apart the property the day before it was due to be sold at auction.
The bizarre plot was to stop their sister, who also owned a share of the home, from making money off the sale.
“You were laughing as you destroyed your and your sister’s inheritance,” Victorian County Court judge Michael Cahill said at the pair’s sentence on Friday.
“Now the world is laughing at you for your stupidity.”
Malcolm sent a text to his sister after they ripped apart the home and the fence.
“Renovations have begun,” it read.
In videos the men filmed of themselves they can be heard laughing and egging each other on as they ripped through the house.
One of the men yells “charge” before he uses the excavator to destroy the side of the house while another yells “push the bucket through”.
They also rolled the property’s water tank down the street.
The destruction of the property was a “senseless rampage”, Judge Cahill said.
Both 57-year-old Malcolm and his 59-year-old brother Garry then went to the MCG to watch a football match after the destruction.
They posted a selfie on social media with the caption: “Beers at the footy after a hard day’s renovating.”
The brothers had tried to challenge their sister’s appointment as executor of their mother’s estate because of her failing to pay money to their children.
“It is clear there are bad feelings between the two of you and her, and the dispute between you has caused her considerable anxiety and upset,” Judge Cahill said.
The property was initially slated to sell for $99,000 and eventually went for $7500.
Both men pleaded guilty to criminal damage and theft in relation to the charges.
“Your offending was more than a spontaneous prank, it was planned and calculated,” Judge Cahill said.
But despite the pair’s early guilty plea and claims of remorse, prosecutors told the judge remarks Malcolm Taylor made to reporters after a pre-sentence hearing suggested otherwise.
Asked whether he regretted his actions, he said: “Absolutely not.”
The brothers were fined $10,000 and Malcolm Taylor was also fined an additional $1000 for breaching his bail conditions.