A car dealer has been found guilty of assaulting a solicitor after she took back a new car she had bought from him.

Timothy Webster, 43, of Gillbank Road, Middleton, Ilkley - managing director of Rhydding Motors - had denied assaulting Susan Cuthbertson.

Leeds magistrates heard that the mother-of-three, of Ilkley's Cuthbert-son and Co Solicitors, had bought a Rover from the company in the summer of 1998 and later exchanged it under the Rover Commitment Scheme because she had not been happy with it.

Miss Cuthbertson told magistrates she had taken a second vehicle back to the now-closed Springs Lane Garage after finding its locking mechanism did not work properly, but had later asked Farnell's Garage to pick up and repair the car after finding out Rhydding Motors no longer had the Rover Franchise.

She said had gone to Rhydding Motors on October 7 last year with her secretary, Natalie Smith, to remove personal items from the car before it was collected.

Miss Cuthbertson, a solicitor since 1975, said she had been sitting in the car when Webster came out, stood over her and started swearing at her.

She said: "He said 'I am not having bloody Farnell's collecting your car from my forecourt - now shift it' and then threw the keys at me."

She said when Webster had then gone back into the showroom, she had gone after him to ask why he had behaved in that way, adding: "He started ranting and raving at me again and I think he said he hoped I'd rot in hell and told me to get off his premises and take my car with me.

"I was holding the door with my right hand and he came towards me and was pushing me through the door and telling me to get off his premises."

Miss Cuthbertson said she had taken her car back to her office and described herself as a 'quivering wreck'.

She said she had been frightened by Webster's behaviour throughout the incident.

Giving evidence in his defence Webster told the court he had not pushed Miss Cuthbertson and did not believe she had been frightened.

He said on the day in question, she had also left an 'inflammatory' letter at the garage with her keys which accused him of employing "butchers".

He told the court: "I walked outside the showroom and gave her the keys in her hand as she was standing by the side of the car.

"I said I wasn't prepared to let Farnell's collect it from the garage and said that she should take it back to her office and we'd send them there to pick it up, and that I was upset at the contents of the letter she'd left and felt if was better to give the letter back.

"I didn't throw the keys at her; I gave them to her, into her hand, firmly but not aggressively."

Stipendiary magistrate Nigel Cadbury said Webster's actions had caused Miss Cuthbertson to fear unlawful violence and fined him £400 with £160 costs.

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