A MAN who punched another motorist in the face in a shop car park following a prolonged road rage incident has avoided a prison sentence.

Reuben Harrison had been involved in an altercation with the victim while driving through Yeovil town centre - and at one stage got out of his vehicle and punched the victim’s car window while shouting abuse.

When both drivers then pulled up into the car park of a cash and carry warehouse, the defendant walked up to the other driver’s car as he got out and asked “Do you want to play with me bruv?”

He continued to scream and shout at the victim and then punched him in the face, knocking his glasses off.

Harrison, 21, pleaded guilty to assaulting Jeremy Hurst by beating him at Bookers cash and carry in Yeovil on December 7 last year.

He also admitted using threatening, abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause him to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used against him.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said Mr Hurst was driving on the Reckleford dual carriageway towards the town centre when Harrison pulled up alongside him and forced his way into his lane, but ended up having to pull in behind the other driver.

“He started to sound his horn but Mr Hurst continued towards the junction with St Michaels Avenue in heavy traffic and then stopped to allow vehicles to turn into the road and the defendant reacted by sounding his horn again,” she said.

“As Mr Hurst approached the junction with Lyde Road, the lights were red and he intended to turn left, but Harrison overtook him, pulled in front of his vehicle in an aggressive manner and stopped diagonally in the road.

“He then got out and approached Mr Hurst’s vehicle making him feel nervous and was shouting so the victim’s wife who was also in the car told him to lock the doors.

“The defendant then punched the driver’s window with his fists and the force was such that he feared the window would be smashed and Harrison was shouting a barrage of abuse at him.”

Harrison walked away and both vehicles drove off and parked up in the car park of Bookers cash and carry, on the Pen Mill trading estate.

An independent witness saw the cars park just a few spaces away from each other and the defendant then walked to Mr Hurst’s vehicle while shouting and said: “Do you want to play with me bruv?”.

Miss Lenanton said: “Harrison’s body language was bursting with anger and the victim was frightened of his intentions and told him to get away from him.

“The defendant continued to scream and was so close the victim could feel his breath on his face.

“Harrison then punched him to the left side of his face causing his glasses to fly off behind him.”

The defendant left the scene and the police were called who identified the defendant from some video footage and he was later interviewed.

Mr Hurst said he was very shaken by the incident and felt immediate pain in his jaw when he was punched and went to Yeovil District Hospital suffering with swelling. Fortunately no lasting injury was caused.

Harrison told the court that the incident had been “a genuine misjudgement of communication”.

He claimed the victim had pulled up very close to him in the car park and had grabbed him first and they had an altercation.

“He was agitated and shouting and screaming and then grabbed me and I grabbed him back and just hit him,” he said.

“My natural reaction was that he wanted to carry on with the incident.

“I hold my hands up to the first part of the incident but the rest was a genuine misunderstanding which I am very remorseful for.

“I misjudged the situation.”

The magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge on Harrison for the assault and fined him £61 for the public order offence. They also imposed costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.