Australian panelbeater's bizarre outburst caught on camera

An Australian man has exploded at a reporter and camera crew after being confronted over a pay dispute.

Robert Cowman erupted when approached by the crew from A Current Affair, raining expletives on them and repeatedly trying to get physical in a confrontation caught on camera.

The heated exchange occurred as the TV crew confronted Cowman on behalf of Will Griffin, a 25-year-old autistic man.

Griffin claims he had done work for Cowman's panel beating company in exchange for him spray-painting his van.

Griffin claimed he had done work for Cowman in exchange for the panel beater painting his van, only to be left with it only half done. Photo / A Current Affair

But Griffin said Cowman hadn't finished the job, instead leaving him with van half blue — which the panel beater alleged was punishment for Griffin being a bad employee.

"I don't know how to explain it in words other than it really disheartened me," Griffin said of the job.

Griffin then contacted A Current Affair, with reporter Sam Cucchiara confronting "half-job Rob" over whether he planned to finish off the van.

7pm tonight @ACurrentAffair9 pic.twitter.com/shVqTTqF0B

— Sam Cucchiara (@SamCucchiara9) September 21, 2020

What followed was a bizarre exchange during which Cowman repeatedly gestured to his "loser-free zone" sign, tried to fight the reporter, sound operator and security guard before ending his rant by yelling: "F** A Current Affair!"

Cowman tries to get physical with the sound operator. Photo / A Current Affair

The panel beater tussles with the show's security guard. Photo / A Current Affair

"Half job Rob, what are the chances of finishing this off Rob?" Cucchiara begins the exchange.

"You've done a half job here, hey? What are the chances of you finishing this off? Poor Will."

Cowman answers that he will "quite happily" finish the job before suddenly exploding, telling ACA to "now f**k off" and lunging at the sound operator.

But he is stopped by ACA's much larger security guard, who Cowman tries to tussle with unsuccessfully, calling him a "big hero".

"I'm a hero, and I'm a celebrity now … I think people are going to have a f**king laugh," Cowman says when asked what people will think when the segment airs.

The exchange only ends when Cowman walks inside his property but not before he turns to the camera to share a parting message.

The enraged panebeater put on a display for the cameras. Photo / A Current Affair

"F**k him, f**k you and f**k A Current Affair!" Cowman says, flipping the bird.

News.com.au has contacted Cowman for comment.