A MAN punched a woman in the face through her car window after they had driven bumper-to-bumper through the streets of Evesham, a court heard.

Stanislaw Pisanecki drove a white van up close to the victim’s car along the town’s High Street before the assault that left her feeling scared for her safety.

The 38-year-old, of Old School Road in Evesham, appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday for sentencing after he was found guilty of assault by beating and a public order offence in a trial on Thursday, September 18.

Marie Watton, prosecuting, said Pisanecki drove up close behind the woman’s car on Thursday, February 21 before overtaking and causing both to stop.

“The driver got out of the van and walked over to her vehicle,” she said. “He threw a punch through the open window. That punch was a clenched fist which connected with the right side of her face.”

Miss Watton said the woman remembered Pisanecki shouting at her and said the only word she could make out was “kill”.

Miss Watton said the victim called the police before she decided to follow her attacker. Pisanecki then approached her car again but paramedics passing by stopped at the scene.

In mitigation, Mark Turnbull said his client appeared angry and agitated because he was having trouble being understood by those around him.

“The pre-sentence report says he experiences difficulty in expressing himself,” he said.

Deputy District Judge Davis said: “The circumstances of the assault on this young woman are, in my opinion, serious. It was a cowardly thing to punch someone in the face when sitting in the seat of their car and unable to escape.

“It seems to me you do suffer from an inability to control your temper and that’s something you must learn to control or you will find yourself in greater trouble.”

Pisanecki was sentenced to 160 hours unpaid work as part of a community order, made to pay £120 compensation to the injured party, and £300 court costs.