A 77-year-old man has been fined after threatening and assaulting a traffic warden during a dispute over a pay-and-display machine in Welshpool. Stephen Doughty was captured on police body-worn camera footage swearing at and threatening Wendy Williams in the Seven Stars car park on November 12 last year.
Welshpool Magistrates' Court heard how Doughty became frustrated when a parking machine repeatedly rejected his coins. When Ms Williams later confirmed that no valid ticket had been purchased, Doughty warned: 'If you give me a ticket it will be the last ticket you’ll give.'
Footage released of the incident shows Doughty then got out of his car, approached her and made further threats, including saying he would 'thump' her. 'Do you want me to f*****g lump you now,' he asked the woman, adding: 'I'll thump you straight in the f*****g gob.' He also slapped her hand twice as she held a device, pointed in her face and continued to shout abuse.
He told the woman to 'join the army' instead of 'doing a scum job' and ended his tirade by telling her to go back to Newtown 'where you come from'. A civilian employee of Dyfed-Powys Police intervened and told Doughty to apologise, warning him not to touch the warden.
In a police interview Doughty said he had become frustrated because the machine wouldn't accept coins and claimed officers were 'more interested in ripping off a pensioner'. Defence solicitor Robert Hanratty said Doughty, a retired lorry driver who appeared in court in a wheelchair, accepted responsibility for his behaviour and expressed regret. The court heard he has previous convictions for battery and threatening behaviour.
Magistrates fined Doughty £500 and ordered him to pay £200 in compensation to Ms Williams. He was also ordered to pay a £200 victim surcharge and £85 in costs, bringing the total to £985.
