Community order for Ottery man who assualted teenager

A FOUL-mouthed 44-year-old Ottery man who lost control and grabbed a schoolgirl s face while he hurled threatening abuse at her, was handed a community order by magistrates last Monday.

A FOUL-mouthed 44-year-old Ottery man who "lost control" and "grabbed" a schoolgirl's face while he hurled threatening abuse at her, was handed a community order by magistrates last Monday.

Unemployed Christopher Reid admitted to an assault charge before Central Devon Magistrates, sitting in Exeter.

The court was told how Reid set out to "frighten" the victim on October 22 last year.

Prosecuting, David Barnes told Central Devon Magistrates how Mr Reid, who initially denied the assault before changing his plea, approached a teenager outside school premises and "lost his temper", grabbing her face and aiming abusive and threatening language towards her before she fell to the ground.

Mr Barnes said the incident left the victim with "minimal" red marks to her cheeks, but had been "quite traumatic", leaving her "scared of her own shadow", "paranoid", and in constant fear of being assaulted.

Defending Reid, Peter Seigne said: "He finds it very difficult to come to terms with what he has done and is very sorry."

He said of the incident: "When he gets there he loses control to some extent and starts shouting, grabs her (the victim) by the face- at one point she falls over- he didn't intend this. He used foul and abusive language but can't recall what was said."

A probation officer told the court how Reid fully accepted his actions were "totally inappropriate".

Magistrates ordered Reid to pay �25 in compensation to the victim and dished out a 60 hour unpaid community work punishment. He was told: "You just can't go around taking the law into you own hands.