AN expectant father concerned for his unborn child punched a man and broke his phone in a road rage attack.

Josh Biggs said victim, Scott Small, performed emergency stops in front of his car and he became concerned about his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child. The 24-year-old of Blackpole Road, Worcester, admitted common assault and criminal damage at Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday following the city attack on April 6 this year which came after a collision.

Melanie Winterflood, prosecuting, said Biggs had confronted Mr Small about the manner of his driving and why he was braking so suddenly. The victim said he had done so to avoid hitting an animal. “Mr Biggs threw several punches towards Mr Small, some of which connected to his face and body. Mr Bigg’s girlfriend attempted to separate the two but Mr Biggs continued to lash out” said Miss Winterflood.

During the assault Mr Small suffered ‘minor bruising to his eye’ and an injury to his arm. His glasses were also damaged. Miss Winterflood said of the victim: “He did not require any medical treatment.”

Biggs was handcuffed at the scene. The prosecutor said: “He’s continued to behave in a fairly aggressive manner.”

The prosecution requested compensation to Mr Small for the injuries and also for the damaged iPhone. “He was a man of hitherto good character, ” she said.

Amara Sanghara, defending, asked that Biggs be given credit for his guilty plea and challenged Mr Small account’s about an animal running in front of the car. “The driving of Mr Small had come to their attention much earlier than that incident. He performed an emergency stop prior to that second emergency stop,” he said.

The solicitor added that when Biggs tried to overtake, Mr Small ‘swerved his car to the middle of the carriageway, stopping them overtaking’. He said Mr Small had shouted verbal abuse at Biggs and the defendant's wife was 'heavily pregnant' at the time.

Mr Sanghara said: "That was one of the factors that caused him to lose his temper."

Magistrates fined him £246, ordered him to pay costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £34. He was given conditional discharge for 12 months. Biggs was ordered to pay £250 compensation for the damage caused to the iPhone 12 screen when he kicked it out of Mr Small's hand.