A SCHOOLGIRL still suffers nightmares after a kidnap suspect pushed her over and tried to grab her in the street.

The eight-year-old had been followed by Michael Belhawla in Tidy Street in North Laine after she had gone to post a letter, then he bundled her to the ground and put his hand across her mouth.

Fortunately, two passers by ran to her aid and Belhawla ran off, sparking a public appeal with CCTV images to find him.

The girl has been left with post traumatic stress disorder, suffering anxiety and flashbacks from the attack.

Belhawla admitted inflicted grievous bodily harm at Lewes Crown Court, and was sentenced to three years in prison for the attack.

The court was told the 24-year-old thug slashed a man in the back with a broken bottle during a fight in Castle Square in Brighton in January 2017.

A 37-year-old victim said he was left “traumatised” by his ordeal after needing 11 stitches from the wounding.

Belhawla, formerly of North Road in Brighton, was jailed for a further seven years for wounding with intent.

The attack on the girl happened on Saturday, May 5 at 8.30am, less than two hours before the Children’s Parade started in the surrounding streets.

At the time the girl’s father said the attack happened as she turned the corner of Gloucester Road into Tidy Street.

On Facebook he wrote: “A man ran from behind, put his hand over her mouth and tackled her to the ground.

“Someone saw this at the end of the street, shouted, and so he ran off across Trafalgar Street and down Whitecross Street.

“Police were with us and dealing with the situation. My daughter was obviously in a bit of a state, but she has had some chocolate to help.”

The charges of attempted kidnap and attempted sexual assault by touching were dropped for the grievous bodily harm charges.

The criminal also faced charges of stealing a Ford Transit van that crashed into another vehicle in Auckland Drive in Bevendean last summer.

He was drink driving and had no insurance.

As a result, he was banned from driving and sentenced to a further year in prison for aggravated vehicle taking, taking his total to 11 years.

After the case Detective Inspector Lee Horner said: “Belhawla is a dangerous man who committed a string of offences and actions, which have left two of his victims traumatised.

“However he has now been jailed for 11 years taking him off the streets of Brighton

Meanwhile, Belhawla also faced a number of unrelated charges, all of which he denied, which including burglary, assaulting causing grievous bodily harm, having a weapon, and wounding with intent.

The judge ordered these offences to be left on file.