A SHOPPER has appeared in court for pushing another shopper in a row over queue jumping at the cash till.

Andrew William Flanagan, 35, said “come on” and suddenly without provocation pushed the victim outside Timberland in McArthur Glen Designer Outlet, said Martin Butterworth, prosecuting.

Shop staff and customers had combined to get the attacker out of the store after he accused the victim of queue jumping inside the store.

Defence solicitor John Howard said Flanagan’s mother had told him about the victim: “She had never met a man with less manners in her 75 years”.

Flanagan, of Howard Link Road, Rawcliffe, pleaded guilty to assault.

He has previous convictions for assault.

York magistrates ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £21 statutory surcharge and gave him a two-year conditional discharge.

Mr Butterworth said the victim and his partner had been waiting for some time to pay for the items they wanted to buy at 5.30pm on October 26.

Flanagan, who was with his mother, accused the victim of pushing into the queue and the two exchanged words. As a result, Flanagan had to leave the store.

When the victim left the store shortly afterwards, Flanagan and his mother “got in his face demanding he apologised” said Mr Butterworth.

Quoting an eye-witness’s report, the assistant prosecution said: “Flanagan was shouting ‘come on’ clearly in an aggressive manner.”

“All of a sudden …. without provocation” Flanagan pushed the victim so hard he stumbled back several paces into a bin, said Mr Butterworth.

He suffered minor injuries. Flanagan then walked off.

Mr Howard said Flanagan had been acting in self-defence and that the victim’s attitude had been the spark to the incident inside the shop.

Flanagan’s mother had wanted to talk to the victim outside the shop.

Seeing the victim arguing with her, Flanagan had pushed him.