New Forest pensioner and daughter attacked by passenger in van

Phillip Bergen attacked the pensioner after a dispute over who should go first at the pumps.

Bergen also punched and threw milk- shake over his victim’s daughter and damaged his car.

The drama happened at the Picket Post filling station, on the eastbound side of the A31, near Ringwood. New Forest magistrates heard.

Pensioner Kenneth Colquhoun was a passenger in the car driven by his wife when there was a dispute with a van driver over who should go first at the pumps.

Bergen was a passenger in the van and paid for the fuel, the court was told When he returned from the kiosk he threw milk shake over Miss Colquhoun in the front passenger seat.

Her 68-year-old father grabbed Bergen to prevent anything else happening, said prosecutor Marie Fittal.

But he turned and punched Mr Colquhoun in the head, she added.

The victim fell to the ground and was then kicked and punched again. Miss Colquhoun intervened and suffered a blow to her face, magistrates heard.

Bergen, also known as Philip Bergin, who had already spent 28 days in prison on remand was jailed for five months. He was also ordered to pay £737 compensation. Bergen had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to beating Mr Colquhoun and his daughter Gail. He also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to bail, causing damage to the Colquhouns’ Audi car and to a Mercedes belonging to Kenneth Bray.

Defending, Chris Gaiger, said Bergen had taken steps to improve himself, had been found a flat by a church housing association and had a girlfriend.

“He says he feels very foolish and very ashamed of his conduct on the day’’ said Mr Gaiger.

Bergen, of St Clement’s Road, Bournemouth, who had a previous conviction for violence in 2006 plus public order and criminal damage offences, was jailed for five months for the attacks, three months for the damage and another month for failing to surrender to bail, all to run concurrently.

Mr Colquhoun, who lives in Verwood, did not want to talk about the attack.