Grandad hit traffic warden with iron bar and drove at him in disabled-bay dispute outside Leeds Greggs

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A grandad who went to collect mince pies for Christmas attacked a traffic warden with an iron bar when he was caught parking in a disabled bay.

David Torr warned the parking attendant at Northside Retail Park: “I will f*** you up if I get a ticket.”

He then got out and attacked the worker. The 61-year-old was jailed at Leeds Crown Court after the judge said it was needed to deter people from “taking the law into their own hands”.

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Torr had been in the Greggs shop at around 9.40am on December 14 last year to buy mince pies, but found the attendant entering his vehicle details into his hand-held device when he returned to his car.

He had been parked in the disabled bay but had no blue badge. He told the employer: “Get my registration details off your system.”

Torr attacked the parking attendant when he was about to give him a ticket for parking in a disabled bay at Northside Retail Park. (pics by Google Maps / National World)Torr attacked the parking attendant when he was about to give him a ticket for parking in a disabled bay at Northside Retail Park. (pics by Google Maps / National World)
Torr attacked the parking attendant when he was about to give him a ticket for parking in a disabled bay at Northside Retail Park. (pics by Google Maps / National World) | Google Maps / National World

After threatening him, he then went to the boot of his car and pulled out the weapon, swinging it at the worker, catching him on the elbow.

He then got into his car and drove off, forcing the warden to jump out of the way. The attendant only sustained minor bruising to his elbow and did not need treatment.

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Torr was later identified and arrested. He claimed during his police interview that he was not the only person who had access to the car, but refused to answer any further questions.

He later admitted affray and possession of an offensive weapon in public. He admitted the charge on the first day his trial was due to take place at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.

He has 24 previous convictions for 50 offences, including several for violence.

A pre-sentence report found that Torr accepted he was “fairly volatile” and that he “knew it was a problem”.

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The probation officer said Torr, of Miles Hill Avenue, Chapel Allerton, was going through assessment for possible PTSD.

Mitigating, John Batchelor said Torr was a married grandfather of eight. He was a HGV driver but was not currently working.

He said: “He overreacted and we saw what happened. He had the good sense eventually to plead guilty.”

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Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told him: “You have a number of previous convictions some for serious violence.

“Here you were again with someone who who is trying to do his job. You were in the wrong, right from the word go.

“What do you do? You get an iron bar out of the boot of your car and go after him.

“This type of behaviour can’t go on. There must be a custodial sentence in a case like this so people are deterred from taking the law into their own hands.”

He was jailed for four months.

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