A man who sprayed pepper spray into the faces of two men following a dispute over a parking space has been jailed. Curtis Rogerson, of Chaise Meadow, Lymm, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, June 4, where he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
Incident details
The court heard the incident happened near Eagle Brow in Lymm village, where two men were reversing a van into a parking space when Rogerson, 45, drove into the spot despite the vehicle already manoeuvring into it. One of the men shouted his frustration at Rogerson before the pair found another parking space nearby. As the two victims remained inside their van, Rogerson returned to his car and drove alongside them.
He then struck the driver's side wing mirror before, without warning, spraying an unknown substance through the open window and into both men's faces before driving away. The victims suffered a burning sensation to their faces and were assisted by members of the public at the scene. Subsequent testing confirmed the substance contained capsaicinoids, the active compounds typically found in pepper spray.
Arrest and charges
Following enquiries, officers identified Rogerson's vehicle and later traced and arrested him. Rogerson pleaded guilty to administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy, possession of a weapon designed to discharge a noxious liquid or gas, and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. His sentence also incorporates two unrelated offences of witness intimidation committed in Trafford.
Police comment
Detective Constable Kelsie Sherratt said: “Rogerson let a small annoyance over a car parking space spiral out of control, purposefully spraying a substance into the faces of the two victims with the intent of causing them harm. The victims were merely sat inside their vehicle, and this must have been terrifying to suddenly be in pain with no knowledge of what they had been sprayed with and if they would be left with any lasting damage. Thankfully, both made a full recovery and Rogerson was held accountable for his actions and is now facing time behind bars.”
