A 22-YEAR-OLD Stourbridge man who punched a schoolgirl in the face breaking her jaw in two places in an unprovoked attack has been put behind bars for 18 months.

Mohammed Atif struck out at the 15-year-old girl as she was walking home and then, moments later, came back to hit her again with his friend Assad Ali.

The teenager had to undergo surgery to insert metal plates onto her fractured jaw and she also lost a number of teeth in the brutal attack, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Judge John Warner told Atif and 24-year-old Ali it was clear there had been an earlier incident in a Stourbridge pub about the way the girl was dancing.

Then, as she made her way home along the Pedmore Road, she was threatened by the two men before being punched to the ground by Atif.

"There was then a second incident in which you both ran up to her and punched her," said the Judge. "She says she still does not know why she was hit."

It was not surprising, he went on at Wolverhampton Crown Court, that their victim had been badly affected by the double assault.

"She was a vulnerable young victim, she had clearly been drinking and the injury she received was serious," said the Judge as he told Ali that by the time he got involved the teenager had already been punched once by Asif.

Ali, of Pedmore Road, Lye, admitted one charge of assault causing actual bodily harm and was given an eight-month jail term suspended for two years.

He was further ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work by the Judge who ruled Asif, of Seymour Road, Stourbridge, had to go straight into custody after he admitted two charges of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Richard Gibbs, defending Atif, said he was deeply remorseful for his actions and added: "He acted in a way he knows was totally unacceptable. He lost control and he lost his temper and drink did play a part.

"He has now stopped drinking entirely. On that night he was not thinking clearly and his actions stemmed from that. He concedes his actions have resulted in a serious injury to this young girl."

Giles Morrison for Ali said he too had not drunk alcohol since the incident as he maintained it was clear he had played a "subordinate" role in the attack on the girl.