Comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown denies hitting woman, 21

The comedian is known for his outrageous stage act

Comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown hit a woman in the face during a foul-mouthed dispute in a Teesside supermarket car park, a court heard.

The comic is said to have hit 21-year-old Kelly Oliver after almost colliding with her grandmother's car in Middlesbrough last September.

Brown, 65 and charged under his real name Royston Vasey, denied common assault at Teesside Magistrates' Court.

The comedian, of Northallerton, is known for his explicit sexual material.

Viviene Turner, prosecuting, said Brown reacted angrily after Miss Oliver watched him reverse his silver Lexus within an inch of her grandmother's car in the car of park of the Middlesbrough town centre branch of Sainsbury's on 2 September.

The court heard he wound down his window and swore at her. Miss Oliver, now six months pregnant, said she did not respond.

She claimed when she walked over to a ticket machine, Brown got out of his car and began shouting at her.

Number plate

Brown is then said to have hit her with his right hand on the left side of her face.

The court heard Brown drove off when Miss Oliver's grandmother, Linda McAleer, 63, said she would note down his registration number.

The court was shown CCTV images of the row, but the chairman of the Bench, Fran Wood, said it had not been "helpful" to either the defence or the prosecution.

Mrs McAleer said she saw the comedian hit Miss Oliver.

Eyewitness Rachel McKenna, 38, said she first heard swearing then saw Miss Oliver struck by Brown.

She said she recognised the man as Roy Chubby Brown and noticed the letters RCB in his number plate.

Brown admitted confronting Miss Oliver, but said when she raised her arm he believed he was going to be hit himself.

He described the incident as "handbags at 20 paces".

The court was told Brown admitted in 1996 to common assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his ex-wife, for which he was fined £300 and ordered to pay compensation.

Miss Oliver had two cautions relating to violent incidents and failed to comply with a dispersal notice in 2008, the court heard.

The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.