An ENRAGED motorist threw his hot chippy dinner in the face of a British Gas engineer during a road rage row. 

Retired businessman, Simon Lloyd, threw his chips, rice and curry through the open window of a van leaving the victim feeling hot sauce on his neck.

The incident happened one afternoon after an encounter developed between the two drivers on Roman Road in Hoylake over a petty overtaking incident.

After the engineer, Neil Reeve, threatened to call the police, 47-year-old Lloyd, who was driving a silver Range Rover, was alleged to have gone on to hit him and cause him to fall to the ground sustaining actual bodily harm but was cleared of that offence by a jury.

He was, however, convicted of common assault involving throwing the food and Judge David Potter told him, that it was “baffling” that a man of his age and good character was facing sentence “having been convicted by a jury of common assault on a British Gas engineer by throwing chips, rice and curry in his face as he sat in the driver’s side.

“Mr Reeve was on his way from one job to another. When he turned into a side road he was confronted with your driving and a disagreement developed between you and Mr Reeve about your respective driving.

"What happened then was wholly inappropriate and criminally wrong and in a fit of temper you threw the contents of your chip shop dinner into his face in a deliberate act intending to assault him with that dinner.”

The judge said that the food went over Mr Reeve and the van and he was unable to continue his work for the rest of the day and his van was off the road for several weeks.

“It is clear to this court that you need to undertake work with regards to your temper when faced with stressful situations."

Lloyd, of Bertram Close, Meols, Wirral, was given a 12 month community order and ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation activities for the offence which occurred on September 15 2022.. 

He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation and £2,000 towards prosecution costs.

Cheryl Mottram, defending, told Liverpool Crown Court that he had reflected on the jury’s verdict and accepts that what he had done needed to be marked and would welcome assistance from the probation service.

When he was convicted, Lloyd claimed to have no money to pay a fine and the case was adjourned for a report. Miss Mottram said: “He accepts he behaved very petulantly.”

 Judge Potter said he was concerned he “would defray the costs of his criminal acts on others because he indicated at the conclusion of the trial that he is heavily dependent on the financial assistance of his father.”

Miss Mottram said that at the end of the trial he had not been able to provide details of his finances but she confirmed that he was in a position to pay financial penalties.