A 50-year-old Ramsey woman who punched a man after a parking rage incident has been put on probation for a year.

Louise Lillian Hitchen followed the man to Vondy’s garage in Andreas after she claimed he made a rude gesture about her parking.

In court, she pleaded guilty to common assault and was also ordered to pay the victim £100 compensation.

We previously reported that the complainant called 999 on January 17 at 1pm.

He said he had been driving on Parliament Street in Ramsey and trying to park, but had seen Hitchen’s car parked badly, with its front sticking out in the road.

He said that he had raised his hand in exasperation and decided to drive on.

However, the man said that he then noticed Hitchen was following him and they both stopped at Vondy’s garage in Andreas.

He said that Hitchen got out of her car and came towards him very aggressively, saying: ‘Got something to say about my parking, f****** big man?’

The complainant said that she had then punched him to the side of the face and that there had been at least two punches.

However, Hitchen disputed this, saying she had only punched him once, to the back of the head.

The duo then slipped and fell onto the ground due to there being snow, but that was the end of the confrontation.

Hitchen was later arrested and claimed that the complainant had been pointing aggressively at her, raising two fingers, and swearing while in his car in Parliament Street.

She said she had become upset and decided to follow him.

Hitchen said she had beeped her horn and flashed her lights to try to get his attention.

Once at the garage, she said she had wanted to speak to him calmly, but claimed he had sworn at her and grabbed her coat to push her away.

She admitted punching him but said it was a ‘tap’.

Defence advocate Paul Glover entered a basis of plea on behalf of his client, in which Hitchen, who lives at May Hill, reiterated that she had only punched the man once.

Mr Glover asked for credit to be given for the guilty plea and said that she had no relevant previous convictions.

The advocate said that the defendant had a lot on her plate at the moment which was detailed in the probation report.

Mr Glover said that it had now been nine months since the offence and that Hitchen would benefit from a period of probation.

‘She reached boiling point on that day,’ said the advocate.

‘It was a relatively minor incident but unfortunately she has seen red.

‘This is going to be her last time before the court.’

Magistrates also ordered Hitchen to pay £100 prosecution costs, which she will pay, along with the compensation, at a rate of £5 per week.