text: Helping children to get safely to school as a lollipop man might seem the ideal job for an active pensioner nearing his 80th birthday. But John Doyle, 79, was left with a punctured lung and a broken rib after he was beaten up by an angry driver during a terrifying road rage attack. The grandfather was ushering two 12-year-old girls across the road when businessman Genti Rustemi, 45, drove over the crossing point without slowing. Genti Rustemi, 45, (left) left John Doyle, 79, (right) with a broken rib and a punctured lung after attacking the lollipop man as he helped children cross the road to get to school . Mr Doyle was helping youngsters cross the road to Wellington School in Timperley, Greater Manchester (pictured), where his wife is a dinnerlady . To show his disapproval, Mr Doyle tapped his lollipop stick on the roof of the BMW as it hurtled past and then, when the driver stopped, told him to be more careful. But after Rustemi had dropped off his daughter at a different school, he returned to the crossing minutes later in a fit of temper and attacked Mr Doyle, who was still helping pupils cross the road. As children and parents looked on in horror, the incensed businessman threw a punch towards Mr Doyle’s face. It failed to connect but managed to knock off his glasses. He then punched Mr Doyle in the chest causing him to fall over backwards into the road where he sat gasping for breath. The former pub landlord was taken to hospital where he was found to have suffered a fractured rib and a punctured lung. Kosovo-born Rustemi, from Stockport, escaped a jail sentence this week after admitting assault causing actual bodily harm and dangerous driving. Instead, he was handed a six-month suspended jail term, ordered to pay Mr Doyle £2,000 in compensation, told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and banned from the roads for 12 months. Mr Doyle (pictured at the scene of the attack) was helping two 12 year old girls across the road outside their school, when Rustemi drove over the crossing without slowing . Mr Doyle took the post as a 'patrol crossing officer' three years ago to to stave off boredom during retirement . Mr Doyle, who has been married for 55 years to Jean, 80, a dinner lady, took the job as a ‘patrol crossing officer’ three years ago to stave off boredom during retirement. Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard that the incident happened at 8.30am on January 20 while he was working outside Wellington School, a secondary school, in Timperley, Greater Manchester. Yesterday Mr Doyle, who had to take six weeks off work following the attack, said: ‘It was an extraordinary thing. I’ve spent most of my working life in the licence trade so I’ve had to escort my fair share of people from my premises but this was something else. 'What he did was like going through a red light. Both myself and the children could have been run over. I’ve been verbally abused in the past but I never expected to get hit. ‘But I’ll keep doing lollipop patrols until I stop enjoying it, and that’s even after getting a punctured lung. I love the job and love meeting people. I’ve got no plans to stop yet.’ Mr Doyle, who was sent this get well soon card by pupils, said he plans to continue his job as a lollipop man despite being injured by Rustemi . Speaking of the incident, he said: 'I had dropped my lollipop down to draw the driver's attention to the fact I was in the middle of the road with two schoolchildren. 'But he was only about 18 inches away from me as he went by. He asked me what the bloody hell I thought I was doing. I said, "didn't you see me standing on the road?" He said "no" so I said, "you should bloody well open your eyes then." Rustemi tried to argue that Mr Doyle had been the 'aggressor' during the incident, but police took statements from a number of schoolchildren witnesses who said the opposite . 'He drove off and I thought that was it then three or four minutes later he came charging across the road towards me and hit me in the side. Much to my mortification I collapsed. 'I have never experienced anything quite like that. It was just not being able to stand up at again. I was lying on the floor and couldn't stand up. I had to crawl across the pavement to a wall and hauled myself up against it and by this time I had people around me. I didn't think there was proper injury at that point, I was just deeply ashamed that I had fallen and couldn't stand up again. 'It wasn't until later in hospital having an X-ray they discovered that I had broken my rib. I can't imagine anybody would drive away, park the car and come charging back because of a sudden burst of temper. This must have been something that was festering for one reason or another.' Sentencing him the judge Mr Recorder David Heaton QC said: 'You behaved in a way in front of your daughter and in front of other schoolchildren which is repugnant to right-minded people. You drove along the road and it appears you failed to see Mr Doyle, the school crossing patrol man, who at that time was escorting two 12-year-old girls across the road. 'So frustrated was he by your driving that he, perhaps unwisely, allowed his crossing banner to drop on to your vehicle and no doubt that surprised your daughter and caused you to exchange words with him. If matters had rested there I imagine you would not be here. Foolishly, you went away but returned two minutes later, more angry, it appears, than you were previously, and threw a punch at Mr Doyle. 'He was carrying out a public service escorting schoolchildren safely from one side of the road to the other and is a much older man. I am prepared to accept you did not realise at the time but nonetheless an inexcusable feature was his age. 'The service he performed is one which parents of children up and down the country value every morning of the school term. You assaulted a public servant, you did it in front of children in the morning and to a man who was significantly older than you. I note you have not been well and that might be some sort of explanation for this extraordinary behaviour.'
target: Parent Genti Rustemi 45, dropping off daughter and refused to slow down .
  He took child to school, then returned and punched lollipop man John Doyle to the floor in 'repugnant' attack in front of schoolchildren .
  Chip shop bosses admitted attack and given suspended sentence .
  Grandfather says Rustemi's failure to stop was 'like going through a red light', and both he and the children 'could have been run over'