The father of Coronation Street star Hayley Tamaddon has bagged £50 in compensation after he was beaten up in a row over dog muck.
Retired hotel manager Nassrollah ‘Nassi’ Tamaddon, 70, was walking the actress’ pet Shih Tzu, Ozzy, on a street in Cleveleys, Lancashire, when he claimed he was headbutted and flung to the ground.
Businessmanm Neil McOwen, 53, was later arrested and admitted to pushing father-of-three Mr Tamaddon to the floor but denied headbutting or kicking him.
He claimed he was in a rage as Mr Tamaddon had allegedly let the dog foul the grass outside the home of his 78-year-old mother.
Iranian-born Mr Tamaddon, whose 37-year-old daughter plays scheming Andrea Beckett in the ITV1 soap, said he was unaware the dog had done a ‘whoopsie’ and he would have picked it up had he known.
McOwen, who runs a garage company, admitted assault and was given a supervision order for nine months and ordered to pay £50 in compensation to Mr Tamaddon.
He was also ordered to pay £85 costs.
Blackpool magistrates heard the incident occurred in December last year outside the home of McOwen’s mother in Cleveley’s, Lancashire.
Adrian Hollamby, prosecuting, said: “The victim was walking the dog and saw McOwen get out of a car and take an elderly woman into a house.
“The defendant then came back out into the street and challenged Mr Tamaddon about some dog dirt stating ‘Are you going to pick that up?’.
“Mr Tamaddon replied ‘Of course I will, I did not see it. I will pick it up ‘.”
McOwen then swore before it was claimed he headbutted Mr Tamaddon in the face before attempting another, missing, and then pushing the victim to the ground.
Mr Hollamby added: “The victim said he was very frightened and thought he was going to be badly hurt. A female witness said she felt sick by what she saw and was scared for the aggrieved.”
McOwen told officers after his arrest about a grassy area in front of his mother’s home which inconsiderate dog owners allowed their animals to foul.
The court heard Mr Tamaddon’s dog was stood behind him on a lead and that he couldn’t see whether his dog had fouled on the grass but apologised because he would have picked it up if he had known.
McOwen has a previous conviction for criminal damage committed when he was trying to collect a debt.
His lawyer, Tony Slater, said at an earlier hearing: “This case turns on the dreaded issue of dog fouling.
“Most people have been offended by this problem over the years. My client said the dog fouled and the aggrieved made no attempt to pick it up.
“He did headbutt him and fling him to the ground but he vehemently denies kicking him.”
Passing sentence, deputy district judge John Maxwell, told McOwen: “I have decided that whether or not you headbutted him, it makes no difference to how I will dispose of your case.
“Nothing goes down on your record other than the fact of a conviction. As far as I’m concerned that will be the end of the matter.”
After the case McOwen, whose mother has since died said: “I have always admitted I assaulted him but what was being disputed is whether I headbutted him and kicked him on the floor. I am happy to admit to assaulting him but that did not happen.”
“When I pulled up in the car to see to my mother I saw in the headlights his dog was sat down doing a poo on the grass. I went to have a word. I said ‘what’s the problem? Will you pick the dog mess up?’
“I pushed him and he tripped over the dog lead and fell on the floor. He had a big coat on so all I could see was his face. I felt very bad when I found out how old he was.”
Hayley grew up in Blackpool with her father and restaurauteur mother Carole, now 67. She has appeared in Emmerdale and last year came runner up in Dancing On Ice.
Story via Cavendish Press
Image courtesy of Crispin Semmens, with thanks
