A FORMER British National Party (BNP) candidate has been fined after admitting assaulting a woman.

Ashley Bradley was sentenced for assault by beating when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday.

Sarah Hurd, prosecuting, told magistrates the assault to victim, Jodie Dale, happened at noon on August 21 last year.

Ms Hurd said Bradley left his flat to confront Miss Dale’s boyfriend, Nathan Page.

Bradley told magistrates his sister, Sonya, had come crying to him after she claimed Mr Page had said there was a bad smell in the area with the comments aimed at her - a claim Mr Page disputed when he gave evidence.

Ms Hurd said Bradley angrily confronted Mr Page, and following this Jodie Dale had become involved.

Ms Hurd said: “The assault is a slap.

“In a statement Jodie says she was stunned, falling to the ground.

“She says: ‘I banged my head against the wall, it sent me flying - I felt dizzy’.”

“This defendant has previous convictions, the last time in 2014 for common assault. He has a history of this type of offending.”

Magistrates heard Charlie Gale, an independent witness who lived near the incident, heard a heated argument before watching it unfold. The witness said she saw a man slap a woman to the face, and when she rushed out to help the woman she was crying in pain and shaken.

Robert Skinner, defending, described the assault as an “open hand slap”, stressing it had caused no visible injuries, and the victim suffered no other injuries as a result of her fall. Mr Skinner said there was a history between his client and the victim’s partner, as they were neighbours in Chedworth Drive and Bradley had complained about Mr Page to the housing association.

Mr Skinner pointed out Bradley had confronted Mr Page that day and on previous occasions had has to confront him about noise.

Magistrates fined Bradley £120, and ordered him to pay compensation of £50, costs of £135, and a victim surcharge of £30 - a total of £335.

Harry Turner, chairman of the bench, explained they found Bradley not guilty on another charge, assault of Mr Page, as they felt there was reasonable doubt due to inconsistencies in the evidence they heard.

This was after Mr Page told the court he had been choked by Bradley after his hands were put around his throat, but his friend Stuart Hughes told magistrates he saw Bradley put Mr Page in a headlock. Mr Skinner argued there had in fact been no assault, instead Bradley pushing Mr Page away from him.

Bradley stood as BNP candidate for the Gorse Hill ward in the Worcester City Council elections in 2014, receiving 31 votes.

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