Robert Hetherington in Yeppoon court after road rage revenge

A man went to extreme lengths to exact road rage revenge but it was all caught on camera at a Queensland Bunnings store.

Robert John Hetherington faced Yeppoon Magistrates Court after he carried out an act of road rage revenge. Generic image.

An act of road rage revenge has landed a Central Queensland man with no prior criminal history before a court.

Robert John Hetherington, 39, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on March 16 to wilful damage.

Police prosecutor Brandon Selic said on February 12, Hetherington was involved in a road rage incident with another male driver on Tanby Road.

Mr Selic said that later at Bunnings Yeppoon, Hetherington saw the other vehicle involved in the incident parked with its windows down.

Mr Selic said Hetherington went to the vehicle and used glue he had purchased from Bunnings to fill the ignition barrel, making the vehicle inoperable.

After the other driver returned to his vehicle and saw what had happened, he called police to report it.

Mr Selic said police viewed CCTV footage at Bunnings and when they questioned Hetherington, he made full admissions to filling the other vehicle’s ignition barrel with glue.

“He (Hetherington) clearly believed the (other) vehicle’s behaviour on the road was unacceptable and this was (his) way of taking (the other driver) off the road,” Mr Selic said.

The court heard the victim’s vehicle was repaired under insurance and the prosecution had no instructions to seek restitution.

The court was told Hetherington had no criminal history.

In relation to the road rage incident, solicitor Laura Mallett said Hetherington had been driving from Emu Park to Bunnings in Yeppoon.

Ms Mallett said during the incident, more than $3000 worth of damage was caused to Hetherington’s vehicle.

Magistrate Cameron Press interjected and asked the prosecution if that damage claim was accepted by the other driver.

When Mr Selic said he could not confirm that, Mr Press said he wanted that checked and the matter was adjourned.

When it returned to the Yeppoon court on March 30, Mr Selic confirmed Hetherington had made a complaint to Yeppoon police in relation to the incident on Tanby Road.

Mr Selic said the other driver had overtaken Hetherington “in not the best place” to do so, and gravel was thrown up which chipped Hetherington’s windscreen.

Before handing down penalty, Magistrate Press noted there had been some damage to Hetherington’s vehicle but added his actions were “rather juvenile”.

“One expects this from teenagers - you know you can do better,” Mr Press said.

Mr Press fined Hetherington $800 and he did not record a conviction.

Originally published as Robert Hetherington in Yeppoon court after road rage revenge