Tory councillor Brian Coleman fined for assault on café owner 
A senior Tory councillor and former ally of London Mayor Boris Johnson grabbed the breast of a cafe owner after she filmed him parking illegally in a restricted loading bay.
Brian Coleman, 51, pleaded guilty to assaulting Helen Michael after she filmed him “flouting” the restrictions he introduced as Mayor of Barnet.
CCTV footage shown at Uxbridge Magistrate’s Court shows councillor Coleman, 51, an ex London Assembly Member and the former Mayor of the London Borough of Barnet, charging towards Ms Michael as she films him with a camera, grabbing her wrists and struggling with her.
Today he appeared in the dock at Uxbridge Magistrates court in a dark suit and blue tie. Coleman pleaded guilty to assault. A second charge of driving without due consideration was dropped.
The scuffle lasts for several seconds and only ends when a man rushes over to intervene and pull Coleman away.
The court heard Coleman grabbed Ms Michael’s breast in the scuffle and the cafe owner was left injured after the attack.
She was treated by her doctor for scratches to her wrist, tenderness to her chest and had to wear a splint to support her wrist.
Mr Manjit Mahal, prosecuting, said: “Mr Coleman is seen to be parking his car in a loading bay in a road. As a member of the local council and he has a long history of disputes with the local traders in that area in relation to parking restrictions.
“The complainant in this case is Helen Michael, she owned a cafe on the street where Mr Coleman was on September 20 having parked his car he went to the bank to withdraw money.
“Mr Coleman arrived and parked in a loading bay where there were clear markings on the road saying loading bay.
“He nevertheless parked there.
“Mr Coleman has caught sight of Ms Michael filming him and we will see CCTV that will be playing that shows Mr Coleman rushing towards Ms Michael.
“He lunges towards her in the street to grab her and during the course of grabbing her is trying to take the mobile phone from her.
“We will see on the CCTV she is trying to resist, he is the instigator of the attack, it is intentional and he has lost control of himself. She tries to retreat but he doesn’t let go of her wrists.”
Mr Mahal said that during the course of the assault: “Non intentionally but during the scrap Mr Coleman grabbed her by the left breast and caused her harm” during the incident on September 20 last year.
He added: “Mr Coleman had been caught in a compromising situation as a man who had introduced these parking restrictions and flouting them himself.”
The court heard how Mr Coleman is “hated” by a section of the Barnet community after he introduced new higher parking charges in the area.
A member of the public spotted him flouting the parking rules to park in a loading bay despite clear signs spelling out the restrictions, and alerted Ms Michael to what was happening.
Coleman handed himself in to the local police station an hour after the assault, but when he was quizzed by officers he said he did not know how Ms Michael got the injuries.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/to ... 02861.html
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