A man threatened to smash a Good Samaritan’s face in as she tried to intervene when she witnessed him rowing with his partner in a Mirfield street.
Another woman escorting three residents from a nearby care home also feared for their safety as they witnessed the commotion.
Peter Willans pleaded guilty to two charges of using threatening behaviour when he appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.
He tried to prevent his name and address from being published but his bid was defeated by a legal challenge made by the Examiner.
The 30-year-old, who was not represented, told the Huddersfield court that he worked as a breakdown technician for Mercedes-Benz, providing roadside assistance for the police and ambulance services.
He claimed that publicity would result in him losing his job and bringing his company’s reputation into disrepute and asked magistrates to impose a Section 11 order under the Contempt of Court Act.
This would have banned the publication of his personal details.
However, magistrates agreed with representations from the Examiner that these circumstances were not strong enough to merit the order being made.
Bench chairman Presley Douglas said: “We don’t find that there’s grounds to prevent the freedom to report the facts in this case.”
The court heard that the offences unfolded after Willans went to the home of his on/ partner Nicole Blakeley in Chadwick Fold Lane in Mirfield on February 7.
He made remarks about not moving until he saw the children but she told him to make appropriate arrangements via his solicitor.
When he refused to leave she left the house but he followed her as she tried to put the children in the car.
Alex Bozman, prosecuting, said: “He snatched the car keys from her and tried to put them down a drain.
“At this time a lady named Joanne Lube was in the area collecting her daughters from school.
“She saw Willans acting in an aggressive manner and decided to intervene.
“He became abusive towards her, saying he would smash her face in.
“She called police and at that point he said: ‘You do know I’ll get sent to prison now so I might as well do something proper to get sent down.”
Willans added that Ms Lube had “no right to interfere” and warned her: “I’ll knock you out.”
Mr Bozman told magistrates that Willans, of Ealand Road in Batley, caused further upset to another witness from a nearby care home who was accompanying three elderly women down the street.
He said: “Willans shouted at her: ‘What the f**k are you looking at’ and she was concerned for both her own safety and the safety of the three ladies she was accompanying.”
Willans told magistrates that tensions were high but accepted that his behaviour was inappropriate.
But he did question: “Why would I put my keys down the drain? It would cost me £500 to get a key for a Mercedes!”
Magistrates sentenced him to an 18-month community order including the building better relationships programme as a direct alternative to custody.
He has to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.
