A VULNERABLE blind man has spoken of the moment he was attacked following a long-standing feud with a neighbour.

As reported in the Telegraph & Argus on Wednesday, Luke Swaby, 29, was jailed for four months “disgracefully” attacking Christian Burke after knocking on his door and repeatedly punching and kicking him.

SON PUNCHED AND KICKED BLIND MAN DURING "DISGRACEFUL" ATTACK

Mr Burke, 38, who lost most of his sight five years ago due to a genetic condition, suffered injuries to his head, back and ribs in the attack.

But the former finance worker, who was locked in a long-standing feud with Swaby’s father, says he does not know why the family took a dislike to him and believes it could be because of his background.

Mr Burke said: “If I knew why his dad has an issue with me then I would understand [the attack] more. He does not like the fact I speak well. He swears a lot and I don’t. He thinks I think I am above everyone around here. I have a degree, I have three A levels and I worked in finance for 15 years. But I moved here to be closer to my mum, who now lives in a nursing home, and my dad, who later passed away.”

Mr Burke, of Shipley, lives in a flat below Swaby’s father and says one day his neighbour began shouting abuse at him. He said: “I knocked on his door and asked him why he said that to other neighbours about me. Nothing happened, but he was very aggressive towards me. The police gave us an informal warning to ignore each other. That was last December and I had not spoken to him until Luke attacked me.”

Swaby, of Baildon Bridge, Shipley, attacked Mr Burke, who is registered blind but is able to see shapes, on August 11 after knocking on his door and warning him not to go near his father. Swaby then got Mr Burke in a headlock on the floor, banging his head on the floor three times.

Mr Burke said: “When I opened the door, he was just punching the air so close to my face. He was asking, ‘why are you flinching?’ I said ‘because you are trying to throw a punch at me.’

“I should have just closed the door, but I didn’t like the fact he was bullying me, I don’t like bullies.”

MORE TOP STORIES