AN EVESHAM lorry driver who punched a man for talking to his teenage daughter in an "inappropriate" way has been fined £200 by magistrates and ordered to give his victim £200.

Droitwich magistrates heard how Stephen Hampton hit the victim, who was in his late-40s, after he spoke to his 17-year-old daughter while they were all in the town's Ex Servicemen's Club.

Richard Wilkes, defending, told the court that his client had noticed the man looking across at his daughter, but had thought nothing about it.

But trouble then broke out when Hampton, a regular at the club, returned from the lavatory to find the man sitting "very close" to his daughter and talking to her.

"When my client returned he found the man making what he thought were inappropriate remarks," he said.

"My client asked the man to leave but he refused. After several times of asking Mr Hampton said: 'Leave, or I will punch you,' to which the man replied: 'Go ahead then'. So he did."

Mr Wilkes said the victim, who suffered a fractured nose, had later admitted to police that he had been drinking before the incident, which took place at 4pm on Sunday, October 7.

Hampton, a long distance lorry driver of Larkspur Drive, Evesham, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

But Julian Harris, prosecuting, claimed there had not been a "build up" of events before the defendant hit the victim.

"On this point there is disagreement between the defence and prosecution."

Magistrates told Hampton, aged 38, they accepted there were differences but felt it would not alter their sentencing.

Besides the fine and compensation payment, Hampton was told to pay £110 in costs.

"The injured party said the attack upon him was immediate and that there was no build up as has been suggested," he said.

between the defence and prosecution case, but said after consideration they

They added they did not feel a further hearing was necessary.