Suspended Tory councillor Brian Coleman has been fined after entering a last-minute guilty plea to charges he physically assaulted a mother-of-two in the middle of a busy high street.

The disgraced politician admitted attacking café owner Helen Michael in North Finchley High Road on September the 20 as she took pictures of his illegally parked car on her mobile phone.

He had previously denied the offence but both parties agreed a plea bargain this morning that involved the Crown Prosecution Service dropping a second charge of driving without reasonable care.

Uxbridge Magistrate’s Court viewed CCTV footage that showed the former London Assembly chairman lunging several feet to grab 50-year-old Miss Michael as she stood in the middle of the pavement.

The court was told how Coleman, 51, grabbed her wrist and left breast whilst trying to wrestle the phone from her during a violent tussle that last more than four seconds and carried on across several yards of pavement.

The frenzy only ended when a passer-by intervened and the former Barnet mayor attempted to flee in his car, which had been parked in a loading bay while he visited an HSBC cash point.

The court heard how the morning’s events were the culmination of a long-running spat between the then-parking portfolio holder Cllr Coleman and local trade representative Miss Michael.

Coleman’s lawyer Neville Rudstone said in mitigation that his client had found himself in “a moment of anguish” with a camera in his face following a lengthy campaign against him and his controversial parking policies.

Mr Rudstone said the assault amounted to “pushing and shoving”, claiming Mr Coleman had been under considerable stress after the campaign had turned personal – including verbal attacks on his octogenarian mother.

The court heard how Miss Michael suffered scratches to her left hand, bruising to the other and tenderness in her chest after the assault.

She later told journalists how she was forced to take sleeping pills to deal with the stress of the incident, but “had coped ok”.

Speaking after the hearing, the businesswoman said she was “delighted” with the outcome of the case.

Describing her feelings during the attack, she said: “It was really scary. The first thing I knew was when he was upon me and his head was coming towards me. He has lied and lied and lied through proceedings but the video showed he attacked me and he was ferocious in his attack. 

“He has been abusing people, in particular women, for years. He’s a misogynist, a bully and he deserves what he gets.”

Miss Michael called on the Totteridge representative to step down as a councillor and said she would not rule out standing against him in next year’s elections if he refused to so.

During sentencing, district judge Deborah Wright said: “I have no doubt Mr Coleman’s motives were to avoid embarrassment of the publicity of his parking arrangements that day.

“A struggle ensued and there can be no doubt that struggle was instigated by Mr Coleman.”

District Judge Wright said she would also consider some “very significant” mitigating factors in the case.

“He is a man of previous good character and is entitled to some credit for his guilty plea. He is a man who has made a significant contribution to society during the course of his career and on the day in question, was being filmed, which I have no doubt was upsetting and embarrassing for him.”

Mr Coleman's U-turn this morning led to him pleading guilty to common assault.

He was fined £270, plus a £15 victim surcharge, as well as being made to pay prosecution costs of £850.

He was also ordered to pay compensation to Miss Michael of £250, a combined total of £1,385.

In the months leading up to the assault, Mr Coleman lost his seat on the GLA and was sacked as a cabinet member of Barnet Council.

He has since been suspended from the national Conservative party pending the outcome of today’s hearing.

Barnet Council said it would not comment on today's sentencing as he was not on council business when the assault took place.