A FORMER Darlington shop owner convicted of common assault has had her conviction quashed after a judge questioned why the case ever came to court in the first place.

Kate Saint was convicted of common assault on council worker, Sharon Gilligan, following a magistrates' court trial, but won an appeal against the verdict at Teesside Crown Court.

The conviction arose from an argument between the pair over parking rights at a car park in the town’s Beaumont Street West.

The 58-year-old was accused of deliberately driving her car at Ms Gilligan, who claimed she was knocked backwards on to the bonnet of Ms Saint’s car.

However, the former mother-of-the-bride shop owner said that at one point Ms Gilligan opened the passenger side door, got into her car and screamed abuse in her face.

As the door shut and Ms Saint moved forward, Ms Gilligan tried to run in front of the car and her hand touched the bonnet, to which she told Ms Saint: “Ha, I have got you.”

But during the appeal hearing last Thursday (March 5), Andrew Teate, for Ms Saint, questioned both the complainant’s and another witness, Sarah Hay’s accounts, claiming they both contradicted each other.

Speaking at her home in Cleveland Avenue, Darlington, today (Tuesday, March 10), Ms Saint said she felt relieved she could finally clear her name.

“Mud sticks and damage has been done to my reputation,” she said.

“At the time I was in total disbelief that something so petty could go that far.

“Even the appeal judge (Judge John Walford) said he couldn’t believe how this storm in a teacup ever got this far when more serious cases could have been heard.”

She said she believed the whole incident arose from a personal vendetta, and that she had initially reported the incident herself to the police, but chose not to pursue it as she did not want any repercussions.

Her friend, Jo Singleton, who attended the crown court hearing, said: “It was a complete farce from beginning to end. It was a mere storm in a teacup.

“The judge said he was appalled that this had even gone to magistrates and that there were more serious cases to be heard.

“He said this was a complete waste of public money and he had never heard anything like it.”