MEMBERS of two feuding groups brawled in the street with hammers, bottles and an air rifle as a row sparked by an alleged car chase came to a head.

During an incident of ‘terrifying violence’ in Lingdale Road, Bournemouth in June 2016, Dennis Hough used a hammer to shatter the windows of an Audi owned by Matthew Pegram.

Hough, who was accompanied by his sister Shareena Hough, his ex-partner Nicolle Newton and his friend Gary Thompson, lashed out after an alleged incident which began at McDonald’s in Christchurch earlier that day.

Pegram and his brother Phillip, who had been in a flat with their families, rushed outside to confront the group. Phillip Pegram was armed with a hammer and an air pistol, which he repeatedly fired, while Matthew Pegram wielded a baseball bat.

During the row, bottles were thrown and three of the defendants were injured with pellets from the pistol. Thompson, who was later convicted of a separate charge of robbery and is currently serving a prison sentence, visited the hospital in the days after the incident to have a pellet removed from his scalp.

"Graphic" CCTV footage of the row was shown during a hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Crabtree OBE said the Houghs, Newton and Thompson would have been aware the incident could "rapidly escalate" when they visited Lingdale Road.

"An ongoing feud existed between Matthew Pegram and Phillip Pegram on the one hand, and Newton and the Houghs on the other," he said.

"A series of incidents were reported to the police."

Among the incidents known to the court was a fight in Barrack Road, Christchurch on May 21 2016, damage to a Mercedes owned by Dennis Hough and a Land Rover owned by Phillip Pegram, and allegations of threatening remarks between the groups.

On the morning of the brawl, it is alleged the Pegrams became involved in a row with Hough while he was driving Newton and their child from McDonald's. The brothers then allegedly chased Hough's car in theirs, it was heard.

The row broke out in the evening.

None of the defendants have given evidence about the background to the feud.

Judge Crabtree said: "Anyone who saw what occurred would have been terrified of the violence that was used."

Phillip Pegram, 30 and of Pittmore Road in Burton, admitted affray and was sentenced to nine months in prison.

Matthew Pegram, 25, and of Melbourne Road, Christchurch, admitted affray and was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years, as well as 120 hours of unpaid work.

Nicolle Newton, 25 and of Foxholes Road, Bournemouth, admitted affray and was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Gary Thompson, 38 and of HMP Erlestoke in Devizes, Wiltshire, admitted a section four public order offence and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison consecutive to his current sentence of 36 months.

Shareena Hough, 39 and of Beaufort Road, Bournemouth, admitted affray and was sentenced to five months in prison suspended for 12 months and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Dennis Hough, 31 and of Beaufort Road, Bournemouth, admitted affray and was sentenced to seven months in prison.