A pensioner punched a young woman in the face in a row over a disabled parking bay at a Fife supermarket.
Gary Lowe’s wife, Sandra, then abused onlookers who came to the woman’s aid.
The couple had pulled up outside Asda in Kirkcaldy’s Carberry Road, but were unable to park due to a vehicle stopped over two disabled bays.
The town’s sheriff court heard how Mr Lowe, 71, lashed out during an argument with the car’s 26-year-old owner.
Mrs Lowe screamed at concerned onlookers and denied what her husband had done.
Victim was left stunned
Fiscal depute Andrew Brown told the court: “At around 10.35am, the complainer attended at the Asda car park to use the cash machine.
“She was on her way to an appointment and intended to stop quickly to get money.
“She left her car in a disabled bay – parked across two bays and running – next to the cash point.”
Mr Brown said: “As she left the vehicle she became aware of a grey Ford C-Max pulling alongside her and saw the female, Sandra Lowe, driving with Mr Lowe as a passenger.
“Mr Lowe made a gesture to say ‘what are you doing?’ and she gestured back that she would only be a minute.
“Mr Lowe got out and was immediately abusive, saying ‘What are you doing?’.
He then called her a sexual slur.
Mr Brown added: “She replied ‘Excuse me?’ and he repeated [what he called her] and punched her in the face.”
He then grabbed hold of the driver’s jumper, leaving her “stunned”.
Witnesses were alerted to the altercation by the woman’s screams and intervened.
Shouted at onlookers
Mr Brown continued: “At this time Sandra Lowe exited her vehicle, and began shouting at the woman: ‘He never hit you’.
“Witnesses began to put hands round the complainer to pull her to safety.
“Sandra Lowe said ‘you’ll be next’ to someone who was trying to help, which left them frightened.
“Mrs Lowe kept shouting ‘he didn’t even touch you’, and shouting and swearing at the fact the complainer had parked in a disabled bay.
“Mrs Lowe said ‘He did not hit her’, but other witnesses reiterated that he did.
“Mrs Lowe said ‘It’s f***ing disabled space, where is your blue badge?’
“Police were contacted.”
‘Frightening’ interaction
The woman was left with bruising to her face, and a cut lip, the court heard.
Solicitor Dewar Spence, defending the Lowes, said they were in possession of a blue badge and needed the space occupied by the other driver.
He said: “The disabled bay is positioned as close to the door as possible.
“This lady parked across the two available bays.
“They were trying to find out why she was parking there.”
Mr Spence said the woman “made her way towards Mr Lowe, which is why he was able to strike out at her.”
He said that the couple had not made it into the shop and had turned around to go home, but they were accosted by the woman’s partner on the dual carriageway, leading to a “frightening” interaction.
Gary Lowe pled guilty to assaulting his victim to her injury at the Asda superstore in Kirkcaldy on December 3, 2021.
Sandra Lowe, 60, who appeared in the dock with the aid of crutches, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner on the same date.
Sheriff James Williamson called the incident “a gross overreaction”.
The pair, of Page Place, Methilhill, were both fined, with Mr Lowe being made to pay £200 and his wife £100.
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