A MAN who assaulted a 14-year-old girl before dragging her into his van and driving off has been jailed.

Hector Seaman, 26, of Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.

He had confronted the girl as she walked home along Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, on the evening of May 3, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was punched in the face several times, before Seaman bundled her into his red Vauxhall Astra van.

The court heard the girl, who told police she had never seen her attacker before, sustained bruising to her left eye, a cut under her left ear and bruising.

Following the attack, Seaman had driven around Ipswich for an hour with the girl in his van before finally being stopped by police officers.

When interviewed, Seaman claimed to have been the victim of an attempted robbery involving the girl, who he said had tried to snatch money from his van when he stopped to ask for directions.

Seaman told officers he had bundled the teenager into his van with the intention of taking her to a police station.

The court was told Seaman was deeply ashamed of his behaviour and had been “mortified” when told the girl was only 14.