An Ipswich man who lost his temper and punched a schoolboy and then attacked the boy’s father has been jailed for 20 months.

The 14-year-old victim was helping to unload his father’s van on the driveway of their home in the Nacton Road area of Ipswich when Cory Masterson walked past, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The teenager thought Masterson was looking at him strangely and asked him to stop staring at him, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.

Masterson walked into the garden and after speaking to the boy he hit him on the side of the head.

When the boy’s father came out Masterson had been verbally aggressive to him and the boy’s father said he was going to follow him until the police arrived.

Masterson had then hit him on the side of his face and when the boy’s father turned to go back to his house Masterson had run up behind him and punched the back of his head, causing him to go to the ground where the attack continued.

As a result of the incident the boy’s father suffered a cut to his forehead which needed five stitches.

Masterson, 25, of Tomline Road, Ipswich, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and assault by beating and was jailed for 20 months.

He was also made the subject of a five-year restraining order banning him from going near the victims’ home in the Nacton Road area.

Sentencing him, Judge David Goodin said: “On this occasion your conduct towards this family was shocking and inexcusable.”

He said Masterson had lost his temper during the incident, which must have been “thoroughly terrifying” for those involved.

Roger Thomson, for Masterson, said there had been some “verbals” from the 14-year-old boy but Masterson accepted this was no excuse for what he did.

He said Masterson had walked away but had been followed up the road by the boy’s father.

He said Masterson accepted hitting the boy’s father three times.

Mr Thomson said drink was the underlying reason for his client’s offending and he needed to get grips with it.