A former member of Skipton’s Escape Healthclub has been banned by magistrates from going anywhere near it after verbally abusing the owner.

Perwaz Asghar, 39, was handed a restraining order by magistrates after admitting using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards Amanda Quintana-Robinson at the club on December 3.

Asghar, who had originally denied the charge, changed his plea to guilty – just before the start of his trial.

The self-employed takeaway owner from Keighley was also ordered to pay £420 in fines and costs.

The court heard that Perwaz, who had been a member at the club at Sandylands Business Park for just a couple of months, got into a row with Mrs Quintana-Robinson over some potential new members he had brought along.

The row in the club reception had quickly escalated, resulting in Asghar using strong and abusive language towards Mrs Quintana-Robinson and also suggesting he would return to “pay her a visit”.

Another member of the gym had been in the changing room at the time and had described Asghar as ranting, being aggressive and constantly using bad language.

He had thought about challenging him, but had decided against it because he had appeared so aggressive.

The court was told that Mrs Quintana-Robinson, the club’s managing director for 25 years, had been shaken and upset following the ten- minute exchange and had believed Asghar was capable of carrying out his threats.

A claim made by Asghar that Mrs Quintana-Robinson had made a racist comment to him was completely denied, the court was told.

In mitigation, Sarah Waddington said Asghar was a very religious family man with five children.

She said the short time he had been a member at the club had not been without incident and that he had made a complaint about some weight equipment that he had considered to be dangerous but had not been replaced.

He had also thought he was helping the gym by introducing new members.

Miss Waddington added that her client had thought Mrs Quintana-Robinson had not been her usual self on the day and that the argument had been a misunderstanding.

The restraining order bars Asghar from contacting Mrs Quintana-Robinson in any way, including electronically or by a third person, and from entering the curtilage of the club. He was fined £150 and ordered to pay costs of £250 and a victims surcharge of £20. There was no order for compensation.