7:30 am, December 18, 2022
A former Dick Lovett sales adviser has admitted assault after she struck a 12-year-old boy on the head with a paddle at a riverside park.
Fay Johnson, 32, left the youngster with a scar on his forehead following an altercation on the outskirts of Bristol on March 26.
Police initially decided against a prosecution but following heavy criticism the case ended up in court, where Johnson pleaded guilty.
The victim, who was attending a birthday party with friends, was the only black child in the group and Avon and Somerset Police classified the incident as racially motivated after a review of the case.
Appearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court, a tearful Johnson denied the attack had been racially motivated but did admit assaulting the boy.
At the time of the incident, Johnson was working as a sales adviser at a luxury Dick Lovett dealership in Bristol.
According her her LinkedIn profile, she left the role in May this year – two months after the incident at the park – having joined in 2019.
The account also reveals that prior to joining Dick Lovett, Johnson held similar roles with Platinum Motor Group and Wessex Garages.
The Guardian reports that the park altercation was sparked when a group of children were accused of throwing mudballs at passing boats, including one being paddled by the defendant.
She then used the paddle to strike one of the boys on the forehead, leaving him with a 1cm gash that required hospital treatment.
Johnson claimed she had been acting in self-defence, having been ‘threatened’ by the gang of children, but relatives of the victim questioned why she attacked him rather than his white friends.
The complaints led to a review by Avon and Somerset Police, which has since apologised for its handling of the incident.
The boy’s family say he remains ‘traumatised’ by what happened and Johnson will be sentenced on January 12.
Car Dealer has approached Dick Lovett for comment.
