A TEENAGER ran out of a house in fear after she was punched by a Suffolk tourist attraction boss, a court heard.Scott Loveday, 23, a supervisor at Felixstowe Pier, now hopes to address his drink problem after admitting two counts of assault.

A TEENAGER ran out of a house in fear after she was punched by a Suffolk tourist attraction boss, a court heard.

Scott Loveday, 23, a supervisor at Felixstowe Pier, now hopes to address his drink problem after admitting two counts of assault.

Sentencing Loveday to a 12 month community rehabilitation order, bench chairman John Wooley told him: "Consider yourself lucky you are not going to be sent to prison."

A mother and her daughter began dancing to music after the 16-year-old had spent a weekend with friends, Shinni Cooksley told South East Suffolk Magistrates, sitting in Ipswich.

Loveday pushed himself into a room at a Suffolk address and grabbed hold of the teenager's mother.

"He pulled her (the mother) into the hallway and slammed her against the wall," said prosecutor Ms Cooksley. He then pushed her into another room, where she fell.

The teenager tried to intervene to help, then ran downstairs to try to lock herself into the bathroom.

The court heard Loveday barged into the bathroom and grabbed hold of the youngster before punching her on the right cheek.

"He threw her on the floor in the hallway and she banged her head on the radiator," said Ms Cooksley. "She ran out to get help."

Loveday went upstairs and began hitting the youngster's mother about her head and face. Police were called and he was arrested.

The mother's injuries included a five inch red abrasion on her right wrist and forearm and a scratch to her right cheek. "She was quite frightened at the time," said Ms Cooksley.

The youngster had a swollen right cheek, a cut inside her mouth and two bumps on her head.

In interview Loveday admitted drinking before the incident in March this year and remembered having an argument, but denied any knowledge of the assault.

"It would appear that he couldn't actually remember," said Ms Cooksley.

Nigel Innes, mitigating, said Loveday wishes to address his alcohol dependency.

Magistrates ordered Loveday, of Woodbridge Road, Sutton, to pay £150 each to the two victims and £55 costs.