A 50-YEAR-OLD dad who stamped on a schoolgirl after she had an argument with his daughter has been spared jail.

Lee Banton attacked two teenagers near a Letchworth GC school, while other children looked on.

A 15-year-old schoolgirl, whose identity was protected by the court, had a row with Banton’s teenage daughter in April this year and was returning to her school at the end of lunch when a car sped towards her.

Prosecutor Rafia Khatun said: “She thought the car was going to hit her and jumped out of the way. Banton got out of the car and started shouting in Jamaican.

“He grabbed her and pulled her towards him, pulling the back of her hair, she was slung to the ground.

“She was screaming out not to hurt her. While on the floor he stamped on her stomach.”

Two of the schoolgirl’s friends who were with her ran off in search for help leaving a 15-year-old boy to come to her aid.

A passer-by driving a car was flagged down and when the boy tried to free his friend and help her into the car, Banton grabbed him, leaving marks on the boy’s shoulder.

The two victims then managed to flee the scene by getting into the car.

Banton, a delivery driver from Eastern Way, Letchworth GC, admitted assaulting the 15-year-old boy in a previous hearing but denied beating the girl, only to admit his guilt of the second offence when on trial earlier this year.

Defence counsel James Sugrue said: “Mr Banton accepts it was the wrong way to deal with it.

“He reacted to an argument his daughter had with this young lady and ended up assaulting both of these young people. He accepts he could have handled it better and said it’s something that will never ever be repeated.”

Chairman of the magistrates bench John Gribbon, who heard the case on Monday in Stevenage, gave Banton a suspended sentence of 16 weeks for assaulting the girl and four weeks for assaulting the boy, which would run concurrently.

He is not allowed to communicate with either victim, will have to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and pay �200 in compensation and �500 in court costs.