Boyfriend beat 80-year-old man in his Wakefield home after he tried to help his girlfriend

Nathan Stokes saw red and beat the pensioner in the doorway of his home in Ossett, Wakefield, when Stokes’ partner had sought refuge at the elderly man’s house after she herself was the victim of an assault. Leeds Crown Court was told by prosecutor Bashir Ahmed that the woman would often go the man’s home to confide in him.

Around midnight on April 5, she knocked on his door and he was shocked to find her face covered in blood. He tried to calm her down, but then Stokes appeared and barged passed the man when he opened the door, knocking him to the floor.

He then began punching him and elbow him in the face several times, before putting his foot on his neck. Stokes then left with his partner and the elderly man called the police. Stokes was arrested and denied even being at the man’s home, saying he was his mother’s.

The 30-year-old, of Parkfield View, Ossett, later admitted causing actual bodily harm. He has four convictions for nine offences, including assault on an emergency worker and shoplifting.

In a victim impact statement from the victim read out by Mr Bashir, he said that Stokes “deserved to go to prison”.

Stokes appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand.

Mitigating, James Littlehales said the relationship between Stokes and the woman was now over, and had “been volatile on both sides”. He said that since his incarceration, Stokes had completed a number of courses, including anger management.

He said: “He has been using his usefully in custody. He is remorseful for his actions, he accepts what he did was completely out of order and very much regrets what he has done. He has a limited record and it’s his first time in a custodial setting.”

Recorder David Gordon jailed him for 27 months and said: “This man was caught in the crossfire, you launched an unprovoked, unwarranted, prolonged and extremely upsetting and distressing assault on an elderly gentleman.”