Barnaby Joyce confronted by angry voter in furious roadside verbal attack

An angry voter unleashed on Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce as he sat in a vehicle on the side of a highway, forcing federal police security ­detail to jump out to protect him. See the video.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s security detail was forced to jump in front of a car and stop a man from verbally attacking the Nationals leader in a menacing incident near Tamworth on Friday.

Mr Joyce and his staff were driving along the New Eng­land Highway to his electorate office from Armidale with three Australian Federal Police officers following in a separate car when he pulled over to take a phone call.

As Mr Joyce made the call, a man with a woman in the passenger seat were seen making a U-turn before the car ­approached Mr Joyce.

As it neared the Nationals leader, an AFP officer jumped in front of the vehicle. A source said the car stopped about “30 to 40 ­metres” from the leader’s car after the AFP officer walked in front of it.

Footage of the incident, which took place between 2.15 and 2.30pm on Friday, shows the man hurling insults at Mr Joyce, calling him “a f**king piece of shit”.

An irate voter verbally attacked Barnaby Joyce but came up against the Deputy PM’s security detail (pictured left). Picture: Supplied

The man was captured on video swearing the security detail, who kept him from Barnaby Joyce. Picture: Supplied

As the AFP officer moves to stand between Mr Joyce, who got back in his car, the man yells: “Get out of the f**kin’ way you dog. Get the f**k out of my face you maggot c**t.”

After failing to get past the officer, the man appears to climb back in his car while being urged to do so by a woman who is believed to be his daughter.

Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce on the campaign trail at the Tamworth Country Music Festival on Friday. Picture: Peter Lorimer

However, the man has second thoughts and ­returns to the AFP officer ­before jumping up and down, and shaping up to him. The man can be heard saying: “C’mon on c’mon on ya c**t. You piss weak c**t.”

The matter was referred to NSW Police but no charges will be laid.

Describing it as a “sad and unsavoury” incident, Mr Joyce thanked his protective detail for keeping the man at bay.

“This was a sad and unsavoury incident, which in no way reflects how the majority of Australians participate in our democracy,” he said.

“I thank my protective ­detail for their bravery in keeping myself and my staff safe. This will be dealt with through the appropriate ­processes.”

A Coalition source said the man was understood to be an ardent Labor supporter and behind a Facebook account going by the name of Pedro de Pakas, which has a profile photo of The Simpson’s character Bart Simpson smashing a window.

The posts on his page included one yesterday where he seemed to boast about the incident using more profanities.

Originally published as Barnaby Joyce confronted by angry voter in furious roadside verbal attack