A councillor pushed a political rival into a stack of cereal boxes in their local Morrisons supermarket by shoving him with his stomach, a court has heard. Neil Ploughman had to be restrained by store staff before "kicking out" at 66-year-old Simon Mallett, who carried out "an exaggerated fall backwards".
They both represented the Labour Party on Belper Town Council at the time, Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court. Ploughman, 56, who was also a trade union official, was also a councillor at Amber Valley Borough Council, reports DerbyshireLive. Neither is now a serving councillor.
Thomas Beardsworth, representing Ploughman, said: “Mr Ploughman and Mr Mallett are known to each other and it is known they have a mutual dislike for each other, having worked together as town councillors. He (the defendant) pushed him using his belly and Mr Mallett fell into some corn flakes and there was said to be a kick which followed, but that’s really not apparent from the CCTV.
“It is disclosed that from (the police ) speaking to Mr Mallett a number of times he had made a complaint to the council committee about Mr Ploughman and hoped there would be sanctions (against him). They (the police) repeatedly reviewed the CCTV and on it Mr Mallett makes a very exaggerated fall backwards.”
Colin Charvill, prosecuting, said Mr Mallett walked into Morrisons in Belper on November 10 last year. He said that, as he made his way towards the pharmacy section, he heard someone shout his name twice, which he did not recognise at first but then realised it was Ploughman.
The prosecutor said: “As he got halfway down the aisle he stopped walking and was then pushed, causing him to fall into a cereal stand, causing boxes to fall over. He would say a considerable amount of force was used.
“He said this caught him completely off guard and was totally unprovoked; he got to his feet and realised the person who pushed him was Ploughman. The defendant was then restrained by members of staff at the store and then swung his right leg back and kicked Mr Mallett in the thigh with some force.”
Ploughman, of Nottingham Road, Belper, pleaded guilty to common assault on the day of trial this week. He had no previous convictions. Mr Beardsworth said the defendant had four children and was still employed by social services.
He said he also helped out with Belper Wombles, a local litter-picking group. In a victim impact statement, Mr Mallett, who was in court with his wife for the hearing, said: “The incident shook me up, I heard people saying two people were fighting, which upset me because it was not true. I am 66 and I do not expect to be assaulted, especially by a borough councillor, it is shocking someone would behave in such a manner.”
Magistrates handed Ploughman a 23-week conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £300 costs and a £26 victim surcharge.
Chair of the bench, Mr Watmough, said: “It is sad this could not be dealt with by a police caution.”
Ploughman lost his seat in last May’s elections. Mr Mallett served on Belper Town Council, also for the Labour Party.
