It was self-defence, claims Chubby Brown over row in Sainsbury's car park

The 6ft-plus 65-year-old is accused of punching Kelly Oliver after he nearly bumped his Lexus into her grandmother's parked car.

Brown, charged under his real name Royston Vasey, denies common assault last September in Sainsbury's car park in Middlesbrough town centre.

Viviene Turner, prosecuting at Teesside Magistrates' Court, said Brown, of The Firs, East Harsley, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, reacted angrily after Miss Oliver watched him reverse the silver Lexus within an inch of her grandmother's car.

But Brown told the court he did not hit the car and stopped reversing when he noticed Miss Oliver standing behind his vehicle.

He explained how he lowered his passenger window and shouted to Miss Oliver: "I didn't touch your car."

He added: "She turned straight to my car and she said, '**** off, you ******* old, fat b******, you ******* ******'.

"I was just gobsmacked. I didn't warrant that abuse at that time.

"I thought, I'm going to confront her and I'm going to give her a dressing down."

Brown said he got out of his vehicle and walked across the car park towards Miss Oliver.

He told the court: "I said to her, 'I have got seven children and six grandchildren who don't speak to me like that. Who the f*** do you think you are?'

"I saw her hand come up and she would have hit me in the face if I hadn't flinched. She caught me here on the chest.

"I said to her, 'Don't you raise your hands to me, you ******* scumbag'."

Brown said Miss Oliver then raised her hands for a second time and hit him again on the chest.

He said: "The third time her arms came up, I put my hands up to push her back."

Miss Turner told the court last week how Brown confronted Miss Oliver.

The prosecutor said: "Miss Oliver describes the defendant appearing to be tense and aggressive and he shouted at her, 'You should have moved your ******* car'."

Miss Oliver, 5ft 3in and seven and a half stone, claimed Brown hit her with his right hand on the left side of her face.

Miss Turner told the court that the woman defended herself before her grandmother came to her aid, shouting: "What are you doing? She's only a bairn."

Brown replied: "A ******* bairn?"

He drove off when the grandmother told him she would note down the registration number of his car, magistrates were told.

Miss Oliver went to the doctors the next day and was told to take painkillers.

The court heard Brown admitted in 1996 to common assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his ex-wife, for which he was fined 300 and ordered to pay compensation.

Miss Oliver has two cautions relating to violent incidents and failed to comply with a dispersal notice in 2008, the court was told.