A terrified disabled man was brutally attacked in front of his grandchildren after an intruder broke in, threatened him with a knife and attacked him with his own walker in a raid that was "every person's worst nightmare".
Bradley Nolan, 24, broke into the victim's home on New Year's Day morning and kicked away the victim's walker, causing him to fall, before punching him and threatening his five and eight-year-old grandchildren. He later said he acted in a "stupid moment of madness" because he was distraught at his mother "abandoning" him to live in Ireland and was arrested at Leeds Bradford Airport while trying to get a flight out to see her, HullLive reports.
Nolan, of Cottingham, East Yorkshire, admitted aggravated burglary and was jailed for six years and nine months.. Richard Davies, prosecuting, said that the disabled man, now aged 61, was asleep in a ground-floor flat in Burden Road, Beverley, at 6am when he was awoken by Nolan shouting at him to wake up.
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Nolan had been at a nearby flat for New Year's Eve and yelled: "Get up and come out here." The man, who uses a wheelchair, got out of bed and went into the living room before Nolan kicked away his walker, causing him to fall into a sofa.
Nolan then turned around holding a knife and asked the man: "Where are your drugs? Where's your money?" Nolan punched him in the face several times and cut up a packet of codeine tablets belonging to the victim, handing half back to him.
"The complainant was scared and fearful for his grandchildren," said Mr Davies. Nolan went towards the grandchildren, aged eight and five, and said: "Have you got a phone? You had better not have phoned the police."
Nolan picked up the walker and hit the man on the legs with it which, because he is paralysed, he could not feel. ”The defendant punched the complainant in the back twice and pushed him onto the bed," said Mr Davies.
He then picked up a flat screen TV in the bedroom and also took a wallet and phone from the living room and left the flat.
The man had suffered cuts to the bridge of his nose and his chest. The TV was found in the doorway of the place where Nolan had been staying.
The man later said: "I am quite fearful of living in my flat now in case the male comes back and tries to rob me again." Two fingerprints were recovered from a window frame. Nolan was arrested on January 9 at Leeds Bradford airport trying to get a flight to Ireland, where his mother lived.
Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that Nolan claimed that he could not remember the attack because he was under the influence of drink and drugs at the time of committing the "appalling and horrific offence". He was struggling at the time with his mother "leaving him behind" to live in Ireland.
In a letter that he read to the court, Nolan said it was a "horrific crime" and it was out of character. "I am usually a hardworking young man," he said. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything like this to someone."
He had "slowly started going off the rails" and things "went from bad to worse". He said: "If I could turn back the clock, so many things would be different. It was one stupid moment of madness.
"I would not plan to go out and burgle someone. It was one moment of madness. It was totally out of character for me. Sorry."
Judge John Thackray QC told Nolan: "Your victim was a vulnerable 61-year-old man. He was at home asleep, babysitting his two grandchildren, aged eight and five. He was entitled to feel safe and secure whilst being at home, whilst looking after his grandchildren. What transpired was every person's worst nightmare.
"You managed to get into his property somehow. You soon realised that your victim was vulnerable and disabled. You had the opportunity to turn and run. Instead, you stayed and threatened and attacked your victim.
"You punched him repeatedly and threatened him with the knife you were brandishing. You hit him with a weapon, mainly his own walker. You attacked him in front of his grandchildren.
"It was a repeated and sustained attack and it's only good fortune that the physical injuries were not more serious. He was understandably terrified. Some people never recover from an incident like this, especially those of mature years and those who are vulnerable."
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