Self-styled lord gets suspended jail term for knocking down warden with car

Lord Bushan Kumar Sharma, who paid £9,000 for the right to be called Lord of Wolverhampton in 2003, was found guilty of dangerous driving and assault and given a suspended prison sentence.

Sharma turned up at court in a black Bentley with personalised plates. He denied knocking over William Dolman on the Lidl car park in Finchfield Hill, Wolverhampton.

But District Judge Chris Johnson found the 43-year-old guilty and gave him a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and 12-month driving ban,

Sharma, of Orchard Way, Great Moor Road, Pattingham, got into a row with Mr Dolman at 3.30pm on May 8 after refusing to accept a parking ticket issued for leaving his Range Rover blocking a fire escape.

Witnesses saw Sharma rush from the shop towards Mr Dolman as he was attaching the ticket to his rear windscreen and act aggressively towards him. They also heard him swear at the attendant.

Sharma then got into his car and drove towards Mr Dolman at "walking pace'" until he hit him and knocked him over. The car stayed over the pensioner's legs briefly before Sharma reversed away and out of the car park.

Mr Dolman described the moment he thought he was going to be crushed.

He told Walsall Magistrates Court: "Right away I thought he was going to drive over my legs, I thought my body was going to be under the car. I curled up my legs because I thought they were in danger. At the time I was terrified."

Sharma admitted he had driven towards where Mr Dolman was standing but claimed he was merely manoeuvring his car as there was no room to reverse straight out of where he was parked. But the judge said he did not believe his version of events.

Sharma must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work, pay a £1,000 criminal court charge, £705 in court costs and £100 in compensation to Mr Dolman.