Not once, but twice, for good measure, it would seem. In Franco’s days, of course, it was the policemen who did the slapping.

The 43-year-old man, who also insulted the said policeman, had not taken it kindly when the policeman fined him for lying on the grass lawns of Jardines del Triunfo in the city of Granada.

You’re not even allowed to walk on the grass, much less lie on it, by the way, but there he was sprawled at ease, drinking with a friend on the 13th of December 2011 – yes, it’s only just reached the courts.

What sparked the slapping incident was not so much the admonishment for lying on the grass, but the fact that one of the policeman tried to confiscate the bottle of booze.

The 46-year-old reacted by stating, “Calvo de mierda eres un gillipollas! Por qué me quitas la bebida?” (Oy, you bald lump of shit, you’re a tosser! Why are you taking my drink away?)

The policeman asked him why he had insulted him, to which he replied, “Porque me sale de los cojones!” (Because I bloody well feel like it.)

Things deteriorated from there, naturally, ending in two slaps and the snap of cuffs.

The accused faces one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 180 euros… arguably, a bargain.

(News: Metropolitan Area, Granada, Andalucia)