Man attacks pensioners after they confront him because he pressed all of the intercom buttons at block of flats

A Bridlington man admitted assaulting pensioners when he was "battered and off his face" on alcohol and drugs, a court heard.

Nicholas Jewitt, of 53, St George's Avenue, Bridlington admitted one offence of grievous bodily harm, another of assault causing actual bodily harm and another of assault by beating, when a group of pensioners remonstrated with him for ringing all the buttons on an intercom to a block of flats.

One of the pensioners suffered a broken wrist when he pushed her away and she fell against a wall at Mariners Court, Bridlington around 4pm on March 19, last year.

Prosecuting at Grimsby Crown Court, Tom Jackson said the defendant was displaying aggressive behaviour and refused to be quiet when he called at the flats in search of a woman called "Lana."

He was told there was no one with that name at the block of flats. Mr Jackson said the defendant urinated against a doorway. But he refused to leave and confronted the pensioners. He gave a glancing blow to one of them on her jaw. Another was pushed over and she hit her head on a wall and another man was pushed into a bush in the garden. They were treated at Scarborough hospital accident and emergency ward.

When police arrested Jewitt, he admitted he was "battered and off his face" on drugs and alcohol. He said he suffered a panic attack when he was surrounded by pensioners.

For Jewitt, Michael Masson said his client had life-long problems with drink and drugs and the victims had landed badly during the encounter with him. The defendant said it was another man who had urinated against the doorway.

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He said his client had weaned himself off methadone and had stopped using crack cocaine. "His plan is to never be before the courts again," said Mr Masson.

Judge Mark Bury said: "You are old enough to know more drugs mean more offences and more time in prison. You would get to 60 years and what have I done with my life? It's not much of a legacy for your children."

The judge said he recalled sentencing him last year for Class A drugs offences for which he was imprisoned for two years. "Had I known about this offence, I would have sentenced you for longer. You have been in custody for a year. You have been in and out of prison all your life. This is the time to put right all the things you have done wrong. It would have been better had you done it 20 years ago. But I can't brush this offence under the carpet."