London: Gay former Barnet Mayor Brian Coleman fined for assaulting female cafe owner
Brian Coleman, the gay former Conservative London Assembly Member and ex-mayor of Barnet, has admitted attacking a woman as she filmed him parking illegally in north London.
Appearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday, the 51-year-old admitted a charge of common assault by beating.
The court heard Mr Coleman was parked in a loading bay in Finchley when cafe owner Helen Michael began filming him on her mobile phone.
Mr Coleman has been asked to pay £1,385, including a £270 fine, prosecution costs and £250 to the victim as compensation.
Sentencing Mr Coleman, District Judge Deborah Wright said the “well-known politician” was a man of “previous good character” who had made significant contributions to society.
“I have no doubt that his motives were to avoid the embarrassment of the publicity,” she said.
The former Tory was suspended by the party after he was arrested last September and has since served as an Independent on Barnet Council.
In February, Mr Coleman said he once slept with an unnamed striker for Arsenal Football Club.
He made the claim on his blog titled, “The King of Bling is back”, in a post about Barnet FC’s plan to move stadiums.
Mr Coleman had been part of Mayor Boris Johnson’s team at City Hall until May 2012 – when he lost his Assembly Member seat in the capital’s local elections.
