A father who whipped his estranged daughter with a belt in the street has been given a community order – after his victim admitted she antagonised him.

Albert Lewis, 56, said he felt “good” after disciplining his daughter, throwing stones at her head, before chasing and beating her while she was struggling to escape through a locked gate.

A neighbour called the police after hearing her screaming and seeing Lewis holding the belt ‘like a whip’ in Heath Lane, Chester on July 7.

Lewis – who left his daughter with red marks on her shoulders, arms and chest – was fined £100 and handed a 12 month community order after his 18-year-old daughter withdrew her charges against him, during a hearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday (September 9).

Lewis, of Lime Grove in Hoole, hit his daughter at least three times with his belt after reaching the end of his tether with his teenage daughter, who he said was ‘out of control’.

Victim Patsy Campbell initially claimed she was walking innocently to her mother’s house when her father got out of his car and attacked her.

But in a letter handed to the court just moments before her father was due to be sentenced for assault, Ms Campbell admitted spitting on his car and screaming racist abuse in the street because she knew it would “push his buttons”.

Prosecutor Rob Youd, reading from the letter, said: “I admit I antagonised him on several occasions, often calling him racist names.

“I am not a racist but I knew it would push his buttons.

“I have never been beaten by my father before. I regret my actions.”

Albert Lewis, 56, of Hoole, arrives for sentencing at Chester Magistrates Court

The 18-year-old added she spat on her father’s car as he pulled up – when he got out of the car she started screaming “help there’s a big black man chasing me”.

But then the father-of-three started throwing stones and dirt while his daughter used his car like a shield – many just missed her head, the court heard.

“She ran towards her mum’s home in the hope of getting through the side gate,” said Mr Youd.

“She found it was locked, she was trapped between the house and the gate.

“She could hear him loosening his belt. She did not turn around, she was still trying to get around the gate.”

Lewis hit his daughter at least three times before her mother came out and unlocked the gate, allowing her to escape.

During police interview, Lewis admitted he had hit his daughter three times – when asked how he felt about it he said: “I feel good, better.”

When asked if this kind of discipline was acceptable in his home country of Grenada in the Caribbean, he said: “Yes, because you wouldn’t cuss or disrespect your parents”.

Lewis, who has four previous convictions dating back to the 1990s, pleaded guilty to assault by beating during a previous hearing.

“What has led up to this is many years of issues between Lewis and his daughter. She has been verbally abusive to him for a number of years, and physically abusive to him for a number of years,” said Howard Jones, defending.

“He has never retaliated, and never contacted the police about his daughter, as he knew that would make things worse.”

Lewis, who has two other children, has never beaten any of them, he was said to be deeply surprised by his daughter’s letter admitting her actions, the court heard.

“She has taken some responsibility for what has taken place,” said Mr Jones, saying the family were hoping to work on rebuilding their relationship.

“He accepts what he did was wrong, he cannot understand why he reacted in the way he did.”

Lewis was sentenced to a 12 month community order, with a supervision requirement, fined £100 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and court costs of £85.