He stopped so close to her that her body was actually leaning over the car

Dean Pulling, prosecuting

Valetta denied the charges and claimed he had mounted the kerb in Tydraw Place to avoid a pedestrian.

The court heard that Ms Williams was left leaning over Valetta's car bonnet and backed up against the shop front behind her.

She collapsed onto the bonnet in shock and had to be carried into a shop to recover.

The jury was told that Ms Williams was so traumatised after the incident last October she was off work for a month and did not leave her home for two weeks.

Absolutely fuming

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said that Valetta had purposely driven at the traffic warden in a bid to scare her - driving dangerously in the process.

"He drove into the road at speed and was seen to veer his car left towards her, mounting the kerb," he told the jury.

"He stopped so close to her that her body was actually leaning over the car.

"This could quite easily have caused injury to Ms Williams and it is extremely fortuitous that it did not."

Valetta admitted that he was "absolutely fuming and full of rage" but denied deliberately driving at Ms Williams.

After nearly three hours of deliberation, he was convicted by a jury of eight men and four women.

He is due to be sentenced next week.