Angry Carlisle cabbie kicked city hospital car park warden during sustained attack A cab driver infuriated by a hospital parking attendant who had photographed his car subjected him to a "sustained" physical assault.
Wayne Hewitson, 51, repeatedly kicked his victim outside Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary before pushing him to the ground and continuing the attack with more kicks, magistrates heard.
At the city's Rickergate court, the driver was given a suspended jail sentence and was told he may now lose his taxi licence.
Hewitson, of Scotby Close, Carlisle, admitted assault by beating and criminal damage to his victim's works mobile phone.
Pam Ward, prosecuting, said parking attendant Mark Smith was patrolling the hospital's 30-minute drop-off zone outside the main entrance at 9.10pm on December 17 when the defendant's taxi pulled up.
When he photographed the car, Hewitson approached him and told him: “That's my car.”
The attendant tried to explain that the picture was part of his routine work at the hospital. A few minutes later, Mr Smith noticed the defendant coming towards him in the A&E car park.
“I approached him because I thought he'd calmed down,” said Mr Smith.
But the defendant demanded the image on the attendant's phone should be deleted. He then grabbed Mr Smith's arm and shoulder and began repeatedly kicking him all over his body.
Mr Smith fell to the ground but when he struggled to his feet, Hewitson pushed him down again and continued kicking.
Mr Smith's mobile phone was damaged and he suffered a swollen lip and chin, as well as facial grazes.
He told police: “I've never been attacked before. I've been on this job for 21 months and now feel anxious working by myself.”
Hewitson told police he was trying to get the attendant's name so he could report him. He admitted grabbing him and hitting him.
Paul Tweddle, for Hewitson, said the defendant knew his livelihood now hung in the balance. He was at the hospital because his grandson was taken into hospital and Hewitson's son had asked his father to go to the hospital to support him.
The lawyer said: “Parking, not only in Carlisle, but also nationally, is an issue. Very often people at hospital are there under stress as patients or relatives and in these circumstances tempers boil over. He pulled up, saw his car photographed and in his emotionally charged state he reacted in a way that was very out of character.”
Mr Tweddle added that health problems – suffered by both the defendant and his wife - as well as a recent bereavement had added to Hewitson's problems.
Suspending his 18 week jail term for a year, the presiding magistrate said: "It was a sustained assault."
The victim, repeatedly kicked, had simply been doing his job. The defendant must also pay his victim £500 compensation, as well as £115 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.
source:
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/Angry ... deea57d-ds
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