A school caretaker has been cleared by a jury of knocking a young cyclist off his bike.

John Passman had been accused of deliberately ramming the 12-year-old boy with a car after he became angry about him trespassing on the grounds at Thornton Grammar School last August.

But a jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday took less than 15 minutes to return a not guilty verdict on a charge of assault at the end of a two-day trial.

The youngster, now 13, told the court that as he was leaving the school grounds, after cricket practice, he heard a shout from his uncle, who was riding behind him.

"The car came over the banking and drove down and went head on into me. I fell off the bike and just sort of hit on to the front of the bonnet,'' he claimed.

Although he did not receive any medical treatment the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he was crying after the collision and suffered pain and bruising to his chest.

Mr Passman, who lives on the school site and has been working there for more than two years, pleaded not guilty to assaulting the boy. The boy's uncle said after the impact he angrily confronted Mr Passman who appeared to be "dumbstruck".

But when he gave evidence Mr Passman denied losing his temper and deliberately driving at the boy.

He said he only decided to drive over in the car when he saw the boy, his uncle and another teenager, heading towards the school buildings.

He said that he had stopped the car at the top of the banking and said the boy had been riding so quickly he couldn't stop and his bicycle clipped the car.

He said the boy did not fall off his bike and was not even crying.

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