Huthwaite dad’s A4 insults

The town court heard how David Rai (50), of Cross Lane, Huthwaite, was waiting for his estranged partner outside Huthwaite Tesco as she exited the building on 13th September.

Dennis Quinn, prosecuting, said: “The defendant parked across the exit to the carpark. In all of the windows each had an A4 sheet with an offensive word written in red ink.”

Mr Quinn said Rai then wound down his window and shouted offensive language at his victim.

“When the defendant was arrested a few weeks later he made no comment to questions put to him,” he added.

Michael Little, defending, said Rai accepted he had placed a sign in the front passenger window but not anywhere else.

Mr Little said Rai was frustrated at not having seen his children for seven weeks.

“He is at breaking point and there has been a suicide attempt.

“On the day in question he had been using the carpark to turn around and had a piece of paper in the car and because he was at breaking point he wrote on it and pushed it up against the window.”

Mr Little said the Huthwaite dad had spoken to the victim but only to discuss his children and not to shout insults.

Rai admitted using threatening or abusive words or behaviour to cause alarm.

He was fined £185 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and court costs of £85.

A magistrate said the total amounted to ‘a very expensive piece of paper.’