An ex-squaddie who repeatedly punched and kicked a vulnerable pensioner in his own home in a drunken attack during lockdown has been jailed.

Iraq War veteran James Bridgewood, 37, launched into the senseless attack on the 69-year-old man after being confronted as he approached an empty house.

The victim initially struggled with Bridgewood, but the drunken lout then forced his way into the elderly man's home and beat him as he lay defenceless on the floor.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the victim had asked Bridgewood where he was going as he knew the house was unoccupied.

Prosecutors said that Bridgewood, who was carrying a bottle of lager, replied "what's it got to do with you?" before launching into the vicious attack on May 17.

Ryan Donoghue, prosecuting, told the court that boozed up Bridgewood then approached the victim and swung punches at him which missed.

He then spat at the OAP and threw the bottle at him.

The pensioner went into his home and picked up his partner's walking stick to defend himself.

Mr Donoghue said the victim managed to strike Bridgewood to the head and the defendant walked away.

But when the pensioner went back inside his home to ring the police, he heard loud banging and saw Bridgewood throwing his partner's wheelchair across the hallway.

The court heard that Bridgewood then knocked the pensioner to the ground and punched him "five or six times" and kicked him once.

Mr Donoghue said the attack only ceased when members of the public passing the property came to the doorway and told Bridgewood to stop.

The victim was taken to hospital suffering from cuts to his forehead and bruising to his face, arms and legs.

His partner witnessed the attack and was left badly shaken by the incident in Leeds, West Yorks., the court heard.

Bridgewood, 37, of Yews Hill Road, Lockwood, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He has previous convictions for assaulting a police officer, burglary, aggravated harassment, being drunk and disorderly in public and breaching court orders.

Anastasis Tasou, mitigating, said Bridgewood suffered from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences serving in the army in Iraq.

He said: "He didn't deal with it well. It was a nasty offence on an elderly man."

Jailing Bridgewood for two and a half years, Judge Simon Phillips QC said: "This unprovoked violence, targeting a man who was almost twice your age, is a serious escalation in violence against others."