A man punched a 14-year-old boy in the face after he and a friend threw conkers at his car.

Razwan Faiz, 41, got the boy into the back of his Mercedes-Benz car and drove a short distance before reaching through the seats and punching the child, causing his nose to bleed and his lip to split.

Another male, who remains unidentified, was with Faiz and grabbed the boy by the back of his clothing, which choked him as he attempted to get away.

Prosecuting, Amanda Johnson said on October 11, 2021, at around 5.30pm, the victim and his friend, both of whom cannot be named, were in Colne Road, Brierfield, ‘entertaining’ themselves by throwing conkers at passing cars.

Faiz’s Mercedes-Benz was one of those struck, and he immediately stopped and pursued the boys.

After the incident where the boy's clothing was pulled, the victim was instructed to get in the back of Faiz’s car.

He drove a short distance down the road to the nearby rugby club, where he then stopped again before saying ‘I don’t mess around’ and punching the boy twice in the face.

Faiz’s passenger then told him that was not enough, and he punched the child a third time.

The defendant was traced after a member of the public partially recognised the number plate on his car, and the two boys were able to identify him as the driver of the car at an identity parade.

Faiz, of Leeds Road, Nelson, was arrested on October 21 and denied the offences.

In a victim personal statement, the boy said he no longer feels comfortable going near the playing fields where the assaults occurred and he feels stressed when he sees the same sort of car the defendant was driving.

Mark Stuart, in mitigation, said his client was “embarrassed” by his behaviour and it was an “impulsive and short-lived” offence.

Faiz was initially charged with kidnapping, but the Crown offered no evidence to this and he instead pleaded guilty to a charge of false imprisonment.

Judge Daniel Prowse, sentencing, said: “You were driving on Colne Road in Brierfield when you had the misfortune to drive past two young boys who were occupied in doing something they ought not to have been doing.

“What they did can come nowhere near to justifying what you then did.

“He was bundled into the car, you drove up to the rugby club, you said you ‘didn’t mess around’, and then you punched that 14-year-old in the face twice.”

Judge Prowse sentenced Faiz to 12 months in prison suspended for 15 months, with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 180 hours unpaid work.