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Beaten senseless for just £9 cash: Thug jailed after punching pensioner 30 times during savage robbery

A brutal thug who mercilessly punched an 84-year-old man 30 times as he lay on the floor in his own home was starting a nine-year jail sentence today.

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John Bennett was knocked to the floor by Shaun Windsor who then sat astride the prone pensioner, punching him again and again.

A judge branded it one of the worst robberies he had ever dealt with and a leading councillor today said Windsor was the 'lowest form of life'.

The victim was left lying unconscious on the kitchen floor of his home in Willenhall which was then ransacked by the drug and drink-fuelled attacker.

The 36-year-old prolific burglar, with 29 previous convictions involving a total of 66 separate offences, escaped with just £9 cash, an old watch and a gold tie pin worth little but of priceless sentimental value to Mr Bennett after being in his family for 80 years. The pitiful haul was sold to feed Windsor's addiction.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard he struck at 4.30pm on the afternoon of June 11 when the victim heard banging at the front door, went to investigate and returned to find the thug standing in the living room. It is unclear how he got in.

Windsor claimed to have been 'chasing children off' and asked for a drink. Mr Bennett took him to the kitchen and gave him a mug of water.

This act of kindness was repaid with a savage beating. Mr Timothy Harrington, prosecuting, said: "Without warning or provocation, the defendant punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor, then knelt on his shoulders while delivering 20 to 30 more punches. The ferocity was such that he blacked out."

Windsor, who once lived in Silverton Way, Wednesfield but now has no fixed address, left his DNA on the mug from which he drank the water and was traced the following month.

John Williams after the attack

It was then discovered that three days before the robbery he stole a wallet, credit cards later used to buy over £300 worth of goods, keys and the Vauxhall car of the owner during a burglary in Orchard Grove, Willenhall.

The vehicle, with his fingerprints on it, was later found in Kidderminster.

Mr Oliver Woolhouse, defending, said: "He is ashamed and appalled at his behaviour.

"The alcohol and drugs he had consumed left him out of control."

Windsor admitted robbery, burglary and several other offences and was given an extended sentence of nine years and four months after Judge Stephen Ward ruled he remained a danger to the public.

The judge said: "This was one of the most unpleasant robberies I have ever had to listen to. You used very significant force on a vulnerable old man.

"I would be surprised if he ever gets over what you did to him."

Mr Bennett, who was 85 on Wednesday, raised the alarm after regaining consciousness and was taken to hospital where he was treated for severe bruising. The beating has changed his life for ever.

It turned a proud, independent man who enjoyed riding his motorcycle into a frail person, unsteady on his feet and suffering daily chest pains and memory loss. He declined to comment after the case.

Councillor Mike Bird, the leader of the Conservative group on Walsall Council, said: "Windsor is the lowest form of life – a despicable individual.

"The longer he is behind bars the safer it will be for the people of Walsall and Willenhall."

Detective Inspector Jackie Nicholson, from Walsall Police, said: "This was a brutal attack on an elderly man, made even worse by the fact that the value of the property stolen was so small.

"The long term effects on the victim are severe, he is still suffering dizzy spells and balance problems, which is preventing him from riding his motorbikes ? a personal pleasure which he has now been denied.

"I am pleased that Windsor spared Mr Bennett the ordeal of a trial and pleaded guilty to the offence.

"Windsor is a career criminal and deserves to spend a considerable amount of time behind bars where he can no longer be a danger to the public."

Windsor must serve at least two thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole and, on release, will spend three years more than usual being monitored on licence.

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