A teenage driver who knocked down a traffic warden in an attempt to escape a parking ticket is also facing sentence for manslaughter, it can now be revealed.

Michael Johnson’s plea to the more serious offence was accepted shortly before he was due to stand trial at Maidstone Crown Court on a murder charge on Monday.

But a news blackout was ordered by the judge until the other trial was concluded.

Johnson, 18, of Shannon Place, Warden Road, Eastchurch, was convicted by a jury unaware of the other offence of dangerous driving, but cleared of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

Sentence on both matters was adjourned until June 16 and he was remanded in custody.

The facts of the manslaughter case were not opened but Judge Philip Statman was told at an earlier hearing that caretaker Trevor Hadlow was killed as he tried to stop a trailer being stolen from stables.

The 70-year-old’s body was found at Capstone Stud Farm in Capstone Road, Gillingham, on November 22 last year.

Video: Johnson ran over a traffic warden to avoid a parking ticket

He tried to prevent a trailer being taken by closing a gate. But Johnson drove a van towing the trailer at the gate, causing it to fly back.

It struck Mr Hadlow and he fell to the ground. His body was discovered in his caravan there two days later.

The judge sent the jury of seven women and five men away without them hearing about Johnson’s guilty plea to manslaughter. They had been out considering verdicts for just an hour.

In the other case traffic warden David Drury escaped with minor injuries when he was struck by a car Johnson, then 17, was driving in Eastchurch four months earlier on July 8 last year.

The shocking incident was captured on the body cameras of both the victim and rookie “civil enforcement officer” Rikesh Solanki.

Mr Drury could be heard on the film footage saying “Ouch” and “Jesus wept” after he went over the bonnet of the Vauxhall Omega.

The traffic wardens had seen the car parked on the pavement next to zig-zag lines close to a pedestrian crossing in High Street, Eastchurch, in the early afternoon.

Mr Drury went to park their car while Mr Solanki spoke to Johnson. As Mr Drury returned he heard the teenager say: “I said I was going.”

Mr Drury told him: “You should have moved when you had the opportunity. Now it’s too late.”

Mr Solanki started printing out the parking ticket as Johnson walked off to a nearby food van to buy a burger.

He returned to the car and called the wardens “to**sers” before driving off.

“I was on the pavement near to the shop entrance,” said Mr Drury. “I was about to tell the driver if he drove away he would still get a ticket in the post.

“I heard the car rev very loudly. I didn’t see the car hit me. I bounced onto the bonnet and over the bonnet and landed on the passenger side.

“I was about 15 feet away when the car moved. When it hit me I was on the pavement.”

He used his radio to report the matter, saying: “I have just been run over.”

Johnson claimed his driving was not dangerous and he had no intention to cause injury.

Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC told jurors: “The prosecution case is his driving you see on that film was dangerous. You can be satisfied so you are sure of that.

“The intention of a person who drives a car, effectively using it as a weapon, and drives it into a person, has the intention to cause really serious bodily harm.

“Fortunately, very little harm was caused to the traffic warden.”

Johnson showed no emotion as he was led to the cells.