A MAN who attacked a father with a piece of wood outside a primary school was given an eight-month suspended sentence yesterday. Michael Andrews, 29, of Moorbank, Oxford, admitted assaulting Peter Pennington outside Pegasus Primary School in Pegasus Road, Blackbird Leys, on November 8, 2011.

Mr Pennington suffered a lump to the head and bruising.

At Oxford Crown Court, Steven Molloy, defending, said Andrews was provoked by an unsubstantiated allegation that Mr Pennington had punched his girlfriend and said: “He recognises in the cold light of day it was a completely inappropriate way to deal with the situation, taking the law into his own hands. He is sorry.”

Judge Gordon Risius told Andrews his sentence was suspended for two years. He said: “You face sentence for assaulting and injuring a slightly younger man delivering his daughter to her school.

“You got out of your van you were in and without warning attacked him using a piece of wood, seen to look like a baseball bat.

“The assault was sustained and repeated and a weapon was used.

“Moreover it was outside a school where a number of other people including parents and children would have seen what happened.”

Judge Risius also gave Andrews a 12-month supervision order, 100 hours unpaid work in the community and ordered him to pay £200 compensation to Mr Pennington and £300 court costs.