Iraq War veteran walked into Yorkshire pensioner's home during lockdown and subjected him to unprovoked attack

A former soldier repeatedly punched and kicked a 69-year-old man in his own home in a drunken attack during lockdown.

Iraq War veteran James Bridgewood was jailed for two-and-half years over the senseless assault on the vulnerable victim.

Leeds Crown Court heard the 37-year-old turned violent after confronting the pensioner outside his own home on May 17 this year.

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Ryan Donoghue, prosecuting, said the victim was outside his home on Meltham Road, Lockwood, Huddersfield, when he saw Bridgewood approach a house next door which he knew was unoccupied.

James Bridgewood was jailed for 30 months for attacking pensioner in his own home.James Bridgewood was jailed for 30 months for attacking pensioner in his own home.
James Bridgewood was jailed for 30 months for attacking pensioner in his own home.

The pensioner asked Bridgewood where he was going and the defendant replied: "What's it got to do with you?"

Bridgewood appeared to be drunk and was carrying a lager bottle.

He approached the victim and swung punches at him which missed.

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Bridgewood then spat at the victim and threw the bottle at him.

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

He manage to strike Bridgewood to the head and the defendant walked away.

The pensioner went back inside his home to ring the police.

He then heard loud banging and saw Bridgewood throwing his partner's wheelchair across the hallway of his home.

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Bridgewood knocked the pensioner to the ground and punched him five or six times and kicked him once.

Members of the public passing the property came to the doorway and told Bridgewood to stop the attack.

The defendant then left the area.

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.

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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, 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."