Pensioner fights off burglar with glass bottle

Thief struck in face after breaking into 75-year-old’s home

A 75-year-old pensioner fought off a burglar by hitting him over the head with a glass bottle, a court heard.
Shamus Doyle, 34, was left bloodied after breaking into the man’s home in Newark-on-Trent, Notts, on Feb 19 last year.
The quick-thinking pensioner had armed himself with a bottle after hearing disturbances from downstairs.
He struck Doyle in the face, leaving him with a large cut on his forehead. A police mugshot of Doyle, taken after his arrest, shows a large cut on his left temple and blood trickling down his face
Nottingham Crown Court heard Doyle fled the scene but reappeared in the man’s back garden a short time later holding a brick.
He threatened to strike the frightened pensioner but again fled the scene when he was told the police were on the way.
As he escaped, he threw the brick through the pensioner’s living room window.
During a police interview, Doyle denied burgling the pensioner’s home and provided a “wavering and inconsistent” account, insisting he was injured in a fight at a park.
Doyle later pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause a person harassment, alarm or distress and was jailed for two years and 174 days.
Det Con Phil James, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a truly appalling crime that demonstrates the depths of what some criminals are prepared to do.
“Burglary is an intrusive crime anyway, but for Doyle to subject a man aged in his 70s to a terrifying ordeal like this is truly shocking.
“The victim demonstrated incredible bravery in confronting Doyle and was understandably affected by the events of that night.
“Despite this, he managed to display great resilience in assisting us with our investigation and I hope this sentence brings him some comfort.”