Mersey pensioner kicker Benjamin Bridgeman is jailed again

Benjamin Bridgeman caused widespread outrage in April last year after fly-kicking his then-72-year-old victim into the river, with an accomplice filming the unprovoked attack on his phone.

He was subsequently jailed for 10 weeks, and then again for a further week four months later for skipping probation service sessions designed to help prevent defendants from offending again.

But the 20-year-old is now facing another spell behind bars for multiple assaults on a female victim and stalking her.

Bridgeman appeared before Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Monday after being convicted of three counts of assault by beating on the same woman.

He was also to be sentenced for criminal damage, stalking involving a fear of violence and failing to comply with the requirements of his post-sentence supervision order.

The court heard how he assaulted his victim three times on November 12 and December 19 last year, as well as on April 11 this year.

Benjamin Bridgeman outside Warrington Magistrates' Court prior to being sentenced for his Mersey assault

Also on November 12, he damaged her iPhone 11, which court documents state had an ‘unknown value’, in either an intentional or reckless manner.

The most serious charge however was that of stalking involving a fear of violence, which occurred between February 8 and April 30 this year in Warrington.

His conduct amounted to stalking which caused his victim to fear, on at least two occasions, that violence would be used against her.

The prosecution explained that on April 11, Bridgeman turned up at The White Hart pub, confronting her in front of her friends and assaulting her.

The defendant was also convicted of sending numerous messages to her threatening further violence, ringing via a withheld phone number and leaving threatening voicemails.

These offences occurred while Bridgeman was ordered to comply with the supervision requirements imposed following his release from custody, placing him in breach of them.

Mark Lever, defending his client for a third adult sentencing hearing, referenced how the defendant initially pleaded guilty to five of the six charges he was facing.

Bridgeman was jailed at Warrington Magistrates' Court (Image: PA)

Bridgeman was due to stand trial on Monday over the charge of stalking involving a fear of violence, however he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Before sentencing, chair magistrate Fraser Geekie stated that the offences were ‘so serious’ that only a custodial sentence was appropriate – and an immediate one at that.

He also referenced Bridgeman’s poor record for violent offending, as well as his failure to comply with probation requirements.

The magistrate panel took his guilty pleas into account when imposing the sentence, stating that this saved the case being sent to Liverpool Crown Court – which has the power to impose longer sentences of imprisonment should a judge deem it appropriate.

Bridgeman, of Quebec Road in Orford, was sentenced to 26 weeks detention in a young offender institution.

He was also ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £128, while no compensation was ordered for his victim.

Despite having a number of youth convictions, Bridgeman’s first sentencing hearing as an adult came for his Mersey kicking attack.

The sickening Mersey assault was filmed and posted on social media

The elderly victim was minding his own business enjoying magnet fishing, a beloved hobby of his, when he was hit with a sickening fly-kick to his back, with the perpetrator running away laughing.

As a result, he banged his head and suffered a cut to side of his nose. He was also wearing a puffer jacket which quickly filled up with water and left him struggling to breathe or exit the fast-flowing river.

The court heard how he was not a strong swimmer and how he was ‘just about managing to keep his head above water’ before he was rescued by two schoolgirls, Ellie Hughes and Khloe Woods, who formed a human chain to rescue him.

The victim was in the water for a couple of minutes and was said to be ‘very upset and shocked’ after being rescued, before walking home to his family soaking wet and shivering and reporting the assault to the police.

His second adult sentencing hearing came after he admitted failing to comply with the requirements of his post-custodial supervision order by failing to attend appointments at Warrington Probation Office on three occasions, without providing evidence to reasonably excuse his absence.

The court heard how his compliance with post-custody supervision had been ‘extremely poor’, with him being offered 17 appointments and attending only six.

He was also told he had ‘not shown much motivation to engage’ with professionals, leaving magistrates with ‘no choice’ but to impose an immediate prison sentence.