'He ruined my dad's life': Family speak of ordeal after car-jacker who left pensioner for dead is told he faces life in prison

Andrew Jones, aged 34, left the 79-year-old lying in a pool of his own blood following the attack in Chapel Street, West Bromwich, on May 10 this year.

Jones had denied the car jacking but a jury of eight men and three women took four hours and 21 minutes to find him guilty following an eight-day trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Jones, of Manley Close, West Bromwich, was yesterday convicted of robbery, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, burglary and witness intimidation.

Judge Stephen Eyre QC adjourned the case and ordered a report assessing the level of danger Jones poses to the public. He told Jones he was considering a life sentence depending on the findings of the report and mitigation from Jones barrister.

The court heard as Jones had a previous conviction for wounding with intent.

After the jury had given their verdicts, Mr Adam Western, prosecuting, said Jones had appeared at court on 35 previous occasions for 102 offences. The court had previously been told Jones' previous convictions ran from 1996 to the early 2010s and included counts of aggravated vehicle taking.

Following the hearing yesterday, Mr Stocking's son, David, said he had phoned his father to tell him the verdicts.

"He just burst into tears," he said.

"He has put his life on hold while this has been taking place and has not even left the house. Hopefully he will now be able to begin the process of moving on.

"He (Jones) ruined my dad's life.

"I asked my dad if he was going to pick up after this and he said yes. But he couldn't until he knew it was all resolved."

"As a family it has been a very gruelling time for us. We are very happy with the verdicts and are now awaiting what the sentence will be."

Mr Stocking said he and his family now did everything for his father - such as day-to-day activities as shopping.

Detective Inspector Pete Rowe, of West Bromwich CID, said: "Jones had no thought for the man he left lying critically ill in the road. He was so callous in his actions only hours after the robbery he committed a burglary, using the stolen car.

"He planned his crimes and lay in wait for the man and his wife to return home from an evening out. He then used the car in a burglary and implicated his ex-partner by storing stolen goods at her flat.

"Jones thought he was above the law, but this was one crime where we were determined to bring those responsible to justice.

"We issued several high profile appeals and officers investigating the crime painstakingly searched CCTV and followed up leads.

"Through hard work and help from the public, who were obviously outraged by this crime, we have today successfully secured a conviction. We hope that this will give some comfort to the family as their loved one continues to recover from his ordeal and injuries."

During the course of the trial, the court was told Mr Stocking had returned from a visit to the Mecca Bingo, in Oldbury, on May 10 dropped off his wife Sylvia at their home before driving a short distance to a private car park.

The pensioner had got out of his car to open the gates when Jones struck. The younger man jumped into the car and drove off. Mr Stocking tried to stop him but was dragged a distance along the road striking his head beneath the vehicle's door. Mr Stocking was left lying in a crumpled heap in the road.

The grandfather-of-three was left with bleeding on the brain, bone fractures and injuries to his hands and legs.

Jones later used the car, a Peugeot 207, as a getaway vehicle at a burglary in Groveland Road, Dudley Port, just hours later where a 40-inch television was stolen.

CCTV footage showed Jones pulling up at the flats where his then girlfriend, Stacey Johnson, lived in the stolen Peugeot. It showed him entering the block with the stolen TV covered by a duvet.

Jones claimed it had not been a TV but a mirror he had found in a skip.

The court heard Miss Johnson had decided to make a statement against Jones after learning how severely Mr Stocking had been injured. He threatened to kill her after learning of the statement.