A TEENAGER who beat up a schoolgirl on Christmas Day has escaped a jail term.

Eric Graham Buck, 18, an apprentice mechanic, was given the maximum 240 hours community service - and was told by Burnley magistrates they would have been more than justified in imposing a custodial sentence.

Buck, of Padiham Road, Burnley, who repeatedly struck his 14-year-old victim - partly captured on a video shown to the bench - must also pay £1,000 compensation and £55 costs. He admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

Phillip Holden, prosecuting, said Buck slapped the girl and she started to scream and run off. Buck ran after her, jumped on top of her and started hitting and kicking her.

A woman stopped to comfort the girl and Buck became agitated and punched his victim a number of times in the face, causing blood to pour from her mouth and nose.

The girl managed to stand up and get away, but did not get far and Buck continued to punch her as she pleaded with him to stop. As she started to cry, Buck repeatedly kicked and punched her and the last part of the attack was captured on CCTV. The assault only ended because two men intervened.

The 14-year-old suffered swelling to the side of the face, a split lip which needed stitching and bruises.

John Greenwood, defending, said Buck came from an extremely respectable family and accepted he may go to custody. The offence was a prolonged assault on a young girl and was nasty.

Buck accepted there was no justification or excuse for what he did, but the defendant was full of remorse and wanted to apologise to the victim. He knew the assault was completely out of order and wished he could turn the clock back.

He said Buck would lose his job if was jailed.

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