A ROAD rage incident erupted in a supermarket car park after a woman failed to indicate when turning in, a court heard.
Michael McCauley, 50, was due to stand trial after he previously denied a charge of assault by beating but changed his plea to guilty when he appeared at Workington Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the incident took place in the Lidl car park in Maryport on the afternoon of October 19 last year.
The victim had driven into the car park and hadn’t indicated, while McCauley was driving out of the car park.
Ms Fee said the victim had gone into the car park and McCauley had approached the vehicle and punched the window.
He used offensive language towards her and said, “that will teach you for not indicating”.
The victim got out of her car and McCauley had pushed her, the court was told. He then returned to his vehicle and had driven towards the victim and another woman, before leaving the car park.
During police interview, McCauley said he was waiting to leave the car park when the victim had turned in without indicating.
He said she made a rude gesture at him. He said he had approached her vehicle but she was on her phone so he had knocked on the window.
McCauley said the woman had said to him, “Do you know who my husband is? You’re dead.” He said she kept repeating, “you are dead”.
He said a second woman had then come over shouting, “you don’t know who her husband is”.
McCauley said she wouldn’t leave the front of his car. He said he had no intention of hitting her with the vehicle.
Other witnesses reported the defendant driving towards the women to get them out of the way.
Mike Woolaghan, defending, said: “The assault allegation is pushing to the chest. No further charges have been presented, such as dangerous driving.
“He accepts the decision to return to this vehicle was inappropriate.
“She was stood in front of his vehicle taking a picture of his number plate. He was just trying to leave the scene.
“There is an element of road rage.
“He has never troubled the court before.”
McCauley, of Willow Drive, Whitehaven, was fined £1,512 and must pay £85 costs and a £605 victim surcharge.
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