Man spat at and racially abused traffic warden
33-YR-OLD ‘LOST IT’ OVER £80 PENALTY
A MAN racially abused a traffic warden and spat towards her after getting a parking ticket.
Keith Andrew Crute, 33, “lost it” when he got the £80 ticket on his car in Llanberis.
He called the woman a “stupid Welsh mare” and spat at her.
He pleaded guilty at Caernarfon Magistrates Court today to using racially aggravated threatening words or behaviour towards Gayle Williams intending to cause harassment, alarm or distress, and racially aggravated assault against her.
Magistrates ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of rehabilitation activity. He must also pay £400 compensation to his victim.
The court heard that the incident happened on July 21. Traffic warden Ms Williams had been working in and around Llanberis and been to the car park with a metal sword sculpture.
It was busy and she noticed a silver Vauxhall car parked on the clearway and issued a ticket. In fact, there were 30 cars parked illegally and she spent an hour issuing tickets.
Prosecutor Diane Williams said she was on her phone to her team leader and walking back to her car when a man approached her.
Ms Williams said he was “shouting and screaming at the top of his voice”.
She added: “He said ‘You’ve just given me a ticket. I’m not paying f ****** £80.’ “
Ms Williams said he was “completely out of control” and had “completely lost it”.
The traffic warden switched on her body worn camera and phoned police.
Crute then called her a “stupid f ****** Welsh mare”, said the prosecutor.
The court heard the traffic warden felt frightened and threatened as the man became even “wilder and more abusive”. He then spat towards her with spittle landing on her arm. Members of the public intervened. Crute moved away and sat on the grass by the lake with his partner and child. They all then drove off but police stopped him and he was arrested.
In a victim personal statement, traffic warden Ms Williams said she felt sick at the disgusting way she was treated. She has never been spat at before and was worried about catching COVID-19. She has questioned whether she wants to continue in her job.
A probation officer said Crute said he hadn’t mean to be racist. He is Welsh born and bred and prides himself on being Welsh.
Liz Jones, defending, said her unemployed client, of Llawr y Ddinas, Mount Street, Bangor, apologises.
He has had financial problems and felt the parking ticket was “unjust”.
On the spit, he was just “clearing his throat” and he spat on the ground. He later admitted racially aggravated assault.
Chairman of the bench Peter Talbot said: “It was a particularly nasty incident to a person carrying out her duties. We all know the problems of Covid.
“It must have been quite a frightening experience for her.”