AN ANGRY motorist slapped a parking ticket on the back of a traffic warden's head after being handed a fine outside a Grimsby school.
Robert Croucher, 27, was dropping his children at Welholme Community Primary School when he was given a ticket for parking on the zigzag lines.
The office worker then saw red and took the ticket off his vehicle before trying to stick it to the back of civil enforcement officer James Parker's head.
Martin Howard, prosecuting at Grimsby Magistrates' Court, said that Croucher shouted "nice one d**k head" at Mr Parker when he spotted the ticket.
He added: "Mr Parker was standing with his back to the defendant when he felt what he described as pain to the head and stumbled forward.
"His colleague later described what had happened. He said the defendant took the ticket off the windscreen of his vehicle, put it on his palm and attempted to stick it to Mr Parker's head.
"The defendant then told them to 'get a real job' before driving away."
When he was arrested, Croucher said he was running late and wasn't aware of the parking restriction.
He admitted one count of assault by beating and one of using threatening and abusive words and behaviour.
The court heard how Croucher, of Grainsby Lane, Grainsby, works part-time in an office and is studying for a degree in business management and accounts.
Nick Furman, mitigating, said Croucher takes his two children to school and then has to rush to get to lectures on time.
Mr Furman added: "In retrospect he fully accepts that he shouldn't have reacted in the way that he did.
"It was a very unfortunate incident and once which is extremely out of character.
"He is embarrassed by his actions and has offered his apologies.
"He stuck the parking ticket on the back of the warden's head and it was in no way meant to be a violent attack."
The court was told that Croucher had never troubled the courts before and was unlikely to do so again.
He was ordered to do 120 hours' unpaid work and made to pay £50 compensation to the victim, £85 costs and a £60 victims' surcharge.
Passing sentence, presiding magistrate Trevor Moss told him: "This court doesn't take this lightly. I think it is appalling that someone doing their job trying to keep children outside a school safe should be abused in this way.
"On top of that, you drove away from the school area in what could be described as a dangerous manner.
"And to say you didn't think the lines were there to stop people parking, we don't accept. Your behaviour was unacceptable."
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