A Brighton man has been sentenced for a racist rant at a traffic warden after she ticketed his car.
Matthew Reah, 48, of Braybon Avenue, Patcham, swore at Tsvetelina Kovacheva and called her a bitch and a foreigner during the outburst.
Andrew Walker, prosecuting, told Brighton magistrates that Reah was “pointing his finger at her at close proximity” during the verbal onslaught.
She felt frightened and intimidated and in fear of physical attack. Sussex Police were called out and arrested Reah.
The incident happened in Preston Park Avenue, Brighton, on Tuesday 9 February.
Reah, a property maintenance worker, admitted racially aggravated threatening behaviour when he appeared before magistrates today (Thursday 14 April).
Hollie Collinge, defending, said that the father of three had been dealing with a series of problems when the traffic warden gave him the parking ticket.
She said: “It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He overreacted unnecessarily. It was out of character. He doesn’t have a history of violence. He’s sorry for what happened.”
The presiding magistrate Michael Sandeman said: “It was a very nasty and unpleasant thing to be shouting at a traffic warden who was just trying to do her job.”
Reah was given a 12-month community order and told to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £60 victim surcharge.
