A father-of-five smashed a man’s car windscreen with a hammer and hauled him out of his vehicle after he crashed into his wife’s car and fled the scene.

Robert Doughty’s wife had called him after her vehicle was hit by another car near their children’s school in Gravesend.

The driver of the other vehicle had left the scene after admitting to the woman he had no insurance but she had managed to take a picture of the vehicle and had noted the number plate.

Later that same day, 41-year-old Doughty was with his wife as they went to collect their kids from school when they spotted the same vehicle behind another car as they waited in traffic.

Doughty jumped out of his car with a hammer and smashed the man’s windscreen and then dragged him out of the car and attacked him.

The incident was seen by concerned members of the public and was reported to police and after Doughty left the scene, they went to his home.

His vehicle was searched and a knife was also found and he was arrested.

During interview Doughty admitted he’d seen red after his wife told him about the incident and accepted he’d taken the hammer and knife with him in case he saw the same driver.

He told officers he had intended to slash the man’s tyres with the knife but instead had smashed his windscreen with the hammer.

The dad-of-five also admitted to officers he’d dragged the man out of the car and had assaulted him by beating him.

Doughty, from Gravesend, was later charged with possessing a knife and criminal damage and pleaded guilty to both offences when he appeared before magistrates in Medway on August 23.

Christina Rowberry prosecuting, told the court the incident happened on December 15, last year and Doughty had also been charged with assault by beating, but the victim had not made a complaint to police about the incident and the assault charge was now out of time and couldn’t be proceeded with and was being withdrawn.

She added: “This was quite an episode and was a road rage incident.

This was quite an episode and was a road rage incident

“His wife was involved in a road traffic crash and initially the other driver stopped to give details and said he would pay for it, but then he drove off after admitting to her he wasn’t insured.

“They saw the same vehicle later that day and he approached it because it had caused the collision and starts shouting at the man inside and then smashes the widow with the hammer and then drags the man out of the car to the rear of it.

“A number of people see it and call the police as they are scared by what they saw and the damage he could do.”

Ms Rowberry also told the bench the other man had not made a complaint about the incident.

Magistrates also heard Doughty had never been in trouble with the law before.

Luke Mayer defending said his client was deeply ashamed about what he did and the incident has had a big impact on his family’s life and had left his wife distressed.

Mr Mayer also said the knife Doughty had taken with him on the day had never left his car and that he cared for his wife who was suffering from some health issues.

He added: “He’s never acted like this before and it’s frightened him. It was out of character and he’s now taking a mood stabiliser, he was on bail for eight months.”

Magistrates decided the knife offence did pass the custody threshold but decided not to send Doughty to prison because they were told by a probation officer any other punishment would take him away from his family and he had to care for them.

The bench gave Doughty a six-month jail sentence but suspended the term for 12 months. He received no separate penalty for the criminal damage offence.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £155 and £85 costs and magistrates ordered the hammer and knife be destroyed.