AFTER waiting more than an hour for food a man going through divorce proceedings lost his temper and assaulted three people in a cafe.

He then fled the scene, his car tearing a rope with metal stakes along the road behind him, which injured a mother and her seven-year-old-child.

The events that unfolded at the Lydiard Park cafe on March 12 saw James Kirkwood before magistrates in Swindon today, where he pleaded guilty to driving a car dangerously and three counts of assault.

The court heard from crown prosecutor Anna Humphreys that he had been verbally abusive to a cafe staff member and was shouting and swearing at her, following a long wait for food, before he pushed her.

When a member of the public tried to get involved he became verbally abusive towards her and then pushed past her to leave.

The woman's partner - a member of the military police - then followed him outside telling him that the police had been called and he should wait.

But Kirkwood, 44, refused and got into his car after physically removing the military police officer from in front of his Nissan XTrail.

Kirkwood then reversed into him, catching the man's knees before driving through a rope cordon, dragging it and the attached metal spikes along the driveway of the park as he made his getaway, damaging another car as he did so.

Unaware that the rope and spikes were attached to his vehicle, a mother and daughter walking nearby were struck by them, the girl suffering rope burns to the back of her legs.

The woman was knocked off her feet.

Once Kirkwood got home he reported the matter to the police saying a woman had been verbally abusive to him and he had pushed her out of the way.

His defence, Emma Handslip, told the bench that her client had driven from his home address of Crawshay Bailey Close, Gilwern, Abergevenny, to meet his wife at Lydiard Park as they were going through divorce proceedings.

"This has happened against a background of what he describes as a very stressful time and he has gone into the cafe and lost his temper. It would appear everyone was waiting for some time," she said.

She explained that when Kirkwood tried to leave the scene the military police officer had tried to take his car keys from him, which had aggravated the matter.

But when he was involved in the collision with the other car - a Ford Ka - he did get out and exchange details with the driver before driving through the rope barrier which he mistook for ticker tape.

The heard he had been attending The Priory to deal with anger management issues.

Kirkwood told magistrates: "I would just like to say I am exceptionally sorry for this incident. I recognise my behaviour at the park on that day was unacceptable."

Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Felicity Dowell told him: "I have to be honest, this is one of the nastiest incidents in a public place where there are families that we have heard in many a long time.

"It was extremely serious. People were hurt and you behaved extremely thoughtlessly - obviously in temper - but nevertheless causing injury to people - to a child in fact, and you had already assaulted three people in the cafe.

"This was a very, very serious incident."

He was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year.

By this time next year he must have completed 20 activity days with the probation service to tackle his temper and his lack of thought. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Kirkwood was further banned from driving for two years and will have to complete an extended retest before he can drive again.

The bench also ordered he pay £100 compensation to each of his female victims in the cafe and £200 to the male victim, along with £85 court costs and an £80 victim surcharge.