A MAN who violently attacked a 16-year-old girl and a passer-by who stopped to help has been jailed.

Terence Van Immerzeel, 32, was convicted of two counts of assault by beating after attacking the teenager and motorcyclist Travis Steer last September.

The attack, in Charter Way, Braintree, was unprovoked and left the girl requiring hospital treatment after sustaining a deep cut to her thigh, a cut to the head and scratches all over her body.

While Immerzeel launched his attack on the girl, Mr Steer stopped to help and was repeatedly punched in the head.

Immerzeel denied three counts of assault but was found guilty of two counts at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on September 14.

Mr Shaw, mitigating at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, said: “This was not a premeditated attack and there was a concussion and a mental disorder.

“Mr Immerzeel was promoted to a management position and he has lost this role after disclosing the incident.

“His partner has written a twopage letter saying he is effectively on probation and their engagement is on hold now. He does not believe the relationship will survive a custodial sentence.”

Immerzeel, who has previous convictions for common assault in 2009 and resisting officers in 2014, claims he has accrued £15,000 in debts, partly as a result of paying for a private solicitor.

Passing sentence, district judge Susan Holdham said: “This was an assault on a young woman, a completely unprovoked assault.

“This was a sustained assault of kicking and punching her while she was on the floor.

“I remember Mr Steer who tried to help her while she was on the floor. He came to her assistance and then you turned on him and tried to punch him while he was wearing his helmet and tried to pull it off.

“I accept that you have no memory and it’s my view that it is because you had far too much to drink.

“No-one will know, other than you, why you assaulted them in the way you did. This clearly crosses the custody threshold and an immediate sentence is inevitable.”

Immerzeel was jailed for16 weeks for the assault on the teenager and 12 weeks for the assault on Mr Steer, to run concurrently.