Man threatened to stab traffic warden

A traffic warden was told “I’ll stab you and break your teeth” by an angry Welshpool man who was handed a parking ticket.

Patrick Stokes, of Leighton Arches, Welshpool, flipped after being given a parking ticket for leaving his motor on double yellow lines in the town centre.

He screamed at traffic warden Philip Smith before throwing the ticket out of his car. Stokes, 24, admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates Court. He was fined £110 and ordered him to pay Mr Smith £50 compensation as well as £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Mrs Helen Tench, prosecuting, said Stokes was arrested and told officers he had been in a bad mood because his grandmother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Miss Ceri Edwards, for Stokes, said: “He was devastated about his grandmother being diagnosed with breast cancer but he should not have taken it out on the innocent traffic warden who was just doing his job.”