Furious Derbyshire motorist struck parking marshal with broken handbrake during row in Covid vaccination centre

Alex Buxton, 32, had driven his elderly mother for her jab when a marshal scolded him for driving into a pedestrian walkway as she exited the centre.

Derby Crown Court heard how as he exited the car park Buxton wound down his window and said to another worker “what the f*** you looking at, n**?”

As the worker walked around the side of Buxton’s van to find out “what the problem was” the defendant moved off “at speed”, said prosecutor Kevin Jones.

Mr Jones said: “(The complainant) slapped the top of his van and the defendant braked sharply. The defendant struck (the complainant).

"He struck him three times to the head, it would appear, with the handbrake of the vehicle which came off in his hand when he pulled up sharply.”

The court heard Buxton had a previous conviction for assault with actual bodily harm (ABH), however this was a long time ago.

Judge Shaun Smith KC told Buxton: “Tensions run high when people are taking their elderly relatives for things like vaccinations.

"It’s not always easy in the circumstances you found yourself in to remain calm.

"But people do not normally go beyond shouting and swearing, you used something that accidentally came off in your hand.”

Buxton, of Woodland Close, Smalley, Ilkeston, admitted ABH.

He was handed an 18-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation activity days.

The court issued a destruction order for the broken handbrake.