Angry rant over parking ticket
A MAN went on a racially-charged rant at council staff whom he confronted over a parking ticket.
Angry Lee Hickling went to Charnwood Borough Council’s Loughborough headquarters to complain about the fine he had been given, and ended up swearing at and threatening officials.
The 44-year-old screwed up the ticket, threw it on the floor. declared he would not pay it and at one point drew his thumb across his throat in a threatening gesture.
Hickling, who was last year convicted of trolling former Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan by threatening to put her in “the burns unit”, appeared at the town’s magistrates court on Thursday.
He admitted causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm and distress during the incident on May 9 last year, shortly after his conviction for sending Baroness Morgan a threatening electronic message.
However, he was then excluded from the courtroom by security staff after he became angry that a Leicestershire Live
reporter was present to cover the case.
Outlining the case against Hickling, Jason Stevens, prosecuting, said a police community support officer had been on duty at the council office on the day of the offence and saw Hickling in the car park.
“It was obvious the defendant was a little bit unhappy about being issued with a parking ticket and was at the council office to make some representation about it,” said Mr Stevens.
After calling council staff an unpleasant name, Hickling screwed the ticket up and threw it onto the floor saying, ‘I’m not paying it’, the court was told.
Mr Stevens said Hickling made a racist comment about the street warden who issued the fine, and made a comment about meeting him in a dark alley.
“He drew his thumb across his throat,” Mr Stevens added.
“He made a comment about people coming to this country and taking our jobs.”
Magistrates fined Hickling, of Maple Road South, Loughborough, £154 for the offence and ordered him to pay a £50 victim surcharge and £50 costs.