In Bush Hill, Pembroke, it was a calm Monday morning. It’s the kind of morning when nothing noteworthy usually occurs. At quarter to nine on a June morning, a woman strolled along the pavement with her shopping bag in hand, as one might anticipate. Then, for no apparent reason, she turned up a stranger’s drive and repeatedly kicked the front of a yellow McLaren 570S that was parked.
The 33-year-old Gareth Edwards wasn’t watching in real time. It took him ten minutes or so to catch up with the footage, and even then, it took him some time to comprehend what he was witnessing. He said, “I was just shocked,” referring to what he described as “shocking behaviour.” To be honest, that’s a restrained way of saying it. The response of most people would be far less measured.
Not that the McLaren 570S is a forgettable vehicle. When a bright yellow car is parked in a Pembroke residential driveway, it usually draws attention. It’s difficult to say whether that look evolved into something more sinister. In the video, the woman did not exhibit any prior signs of agitation. She was simply strolling while holding her purse, and then she wasn’t.
Thankfully, there wasn’t much physical harm. Edwards estimates that the two scratches on the bonnet will cost between £200 and £300 to repair. That’s quite modest in the world of supercar ownership, but that’s not really the point. No one had been harmed by the car while it was parked on his driveway. The part that sticks with you is the notion that a stranger could literally choose to try it.
The Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that an investigation was in progress after receiving a report of criminal damage to a motor vehicle. It remains to be seen if that goes anywhere. While CCTV footage is helpful, identifying and prosecuting the individual is a completely different story. For his part, Edwards appears more perplexed than resentful, though it’s possible that his feelings will change after he receives the repair bill.
The shopping bag detail is strangely telling. She wasn’t fleeing anything, nor was she in distress. It implies a sort of careless, impulsive choice, as though something was just triggered by the sight of the car. It is impossible to tell from the video alone whether that was jealousy, annoyance, or something completely illogical.
According to Edwards, who owns a painting and decorating company, he “didn’t think there were people like that in the world today.” That statement has a genuine sadness to it; it’s honest, not naive. An odd, almost comical inconvenience to the whole situation is that he had to leave the McLaren at a friend’s house before taking a vacation. That kind of car is something you purchase to enjoy. Rather, a stranger kicked it, so you’re setting up alternate parking.
What, if anything, will emerge from the police investigation is still unknown. However, the video is there, the damage is recorded, and a bewildered car owner has returned from vacation, most likely to get repair quotes. There are mornings that simply don’t go as planned.
