A South Derbyshire councillor has admitted assaulting an inspector as she carried out her work inspecting his private ambulance operation.
Councillor Robert Coe, of Hartshill Road, Hartshorne, has now appeared in court where he admitted assaulting the inspector from the Care Quality Commission by beating on November 2, 2017, during an inspection.
Sarah Smith, prosecuting, told Nottingham Magistrates' Court that two inspectors had visited Coe at his home address to inspect his private ambulance.
However, it was his son's birthday that day and he had to take him back to university. He was also in the process of moving house so all of his belongings were in boxes and an argument ensured, the court heard.
The 60-year-old left the inspectors with his wife while he took his son back and he returned to meet them where the ambulance was being stored.
The inspectors were using the back door of the ambulance and he asked them to use a side door due to concerns that it was not up safely on a ramp, the court was told.
They used the side door but then went around the back to inspect the ambulance. Coe was concerned about the first aid kit causing an obstruction in the ambulance and it was at this point that he grabbed one of the inspectors by the shoulders and pulled her out of the way to get in to the ambulance,she said.
She got her lanyard caught on the side of the ambulance and it caused bruising to her neck, under her arm and to her leg.
In a victim impact statement, the inspector said that the incident had had a "great impact on her life" and she had not returned to work.
It had made her "panicky and anxious of going out and about" and it has caused her a lot of stress, the prosecutor told the court.
The inspector had also asked wanted to see a restraining order imposed as she lives in the next village to Coe, the court was told.
Nick Wendon, defending, said: "Mr Coe ran a private ambulance service which had to be assessed by the Care Quality Commission. He was told that they had an anonymous tip off which he believed was from a former employee who had left a few days before the inspectors arrived at the door.
"That day was his son's birthday. His son has autism and needs routine. Mr Coe was going to be taking him back to Leicester University and they were in the process of moving so all of their belongings were boxed up.
"It turned into an argument as he wasn't happy about the inspection given the circumstances. His son was getting very upset and Mr Coe removed himself from the premises as they decided it was best his wife undertook the inspection."
Mrs Coe was taken to the storage unit by the inspectors as she did not have a car and he returned later to pick her up when the incident occurred. He attended the police station voluntarily where he was interviewed.
Mr Wendon said: "Mr Coe is a local councillor in Derbyshire and is a well-respected member of the community. His hearing is being held in Nottingham as there is a serious risk that he would know members of the local Bench in Derbyshire.
"He has no previous convictions and no involvement with the police apart from in his role as a police liaison officer where he liaises with the police on local issues.
"The implications this will have on him will be quite severe and he hopes people will recognise this is a genuine mistake."
He added that he believes he could also be autistic after attending counselling sessions with his son but this would not have been diagnosed when he was at school.
He also said that a restraining order is not necessary as he had never seen his victim before or since the incident.
Coe no longer runs the private ambulance service so will not be involved with the Care Quality Commission, the court was told.
Magistrates fined Coe £80 as well as ordering him to pay £30 victim surcharge, £85 court costs and £100 compensation to his victim. They said they did not think it was "proportional or necessary" to put a restraining order in place.
The Care Quality Commission is responsible for monitoring, inspecting and regulating health and social care services.
Coe has been a Conservative councillor on South Derbyshire District Council since first being elected in 2015.
A spokesman for the authority said he was unable to comment with it being a private matter.
