A traffic warden was hit with a parking ticket that he had issued
A 32-year-old man has been jailed for two months for hitting a traffic warden with a parking ticket he had been issued with because his Audi was illegally parked in Enniskillen.
Rory Martin Logan, of Ross Close in Enniskillen, admitted assaulting Alistair Yuill when he appeared before Fermanagh Court.
A prosecutor told the court that on July 24 police were called out to speak to a traffic warden who had been assaulted on High Street in Enniskillen by a man driving an Audi.
Mr Yuill told officers that he had been assaulted with a parking ticket which he had issued because the Audi was illegally parked outside a building society in the town.
Logan’s registration plate was noted and he was asked to attend the police station.
On October 4 Logan went to Enniskillen police station where he admitted he had been speaking to Mr Yuill that morning.
The defendant told officers that the ticket flew out of his hand and may inadvertently hit him but he wasn’t sure. However Mr Yuill said that Logan swung his right hand hitting him on the jaw and he had pain on his face for five minutes.
The defence solicitor said that the incident occurred at about 9.30am after his client drove into the centre of the town to take care of what he thought would be a short transaction.
The solicitor added: “He knew he shouldn’t have parked there but he said he would just be a few minutes.
“He sought to speak to the injured party to exercise some discretion and told the injured party he had only been away for a few minutes. The defendant says he found the injured party to be inflexible.
“He accepts he struck him with the ticket on the cheek. From the pre-sentence report he had no intention of hitting him but accepts there is a large degree of recklessness.
“It’s an unfortunate case of assault on a public official. It’s at the lower end of the scale.
“He fully cooperated with police. He voluntarily went to speak to police and he expressed his remorse and wants to apologise to the court.”
It also emerged that Logan, who is married with a child, had completed an order set by probation after he was convicted for an offence in 2006 but has not appeared back in court since.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said that any assault on a public official is a serious matter.
He added: “It is quite clear you made a pre-mediated decision to park illegally. He was carrying out his duty.
“It was a totally unprovoked and unjustified attack on a public official and the courts have to deal with these matters in a strong manner.
“You have some previous convictions and had a probation order but unfortunately that hasn’t prevented this offending.
“The custody threshold has been crossed.”
Logan was sentenced to two months and ordered to pay a compensation order of £250 to Mr Yuill.
He was released on his own bail of £500.
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