Ice cream man hit boy trying to help himself

AN ICE CREAM seller punched a 12-year-old boy after he helped himself to a Mr Whippy, a court heard.

Alan Donaldson, 58, lost his temper after the boy asked if he could pull the dispenser handle for a free ice cream.

He replied: “Only if you want a smack.” The boy then jumped up, reached over and pulled the lever, discharging ice cream all over the floor of the van, parked at St Peter Port in Guernsey, the island’s magistrates’ court heard. Donaldson then hit the youngster with a clenched fist, breaking one of his teeth, but immediately said that he had not meant to make contact.

He told the boy: “I didn’t mean to hit you, I thought you were further away.”

The boy then left with friends and told his mother what had happened.

Donaldson subsequently turned himself in to police, and told them he had not intended to hit the boy but had only wanted to scare him away. He pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to assaulting a minor and was sentenced to 120 hours’ community service.

Sam Mcdonald, defending, said that Donaldson had been sent many messages of support from islanders on social media. She added: “He is a very well-respected member of this community. Quite simply, he had not had a good day. While this did not excuse Donaldson’s action, it did explain it.”