Thug broke into pensioner's home and battered him with fire extinguisher

A thug hit a pensioner on the head with a fire extinguisher during a 'brutal and unprovoked attack' which left him with no memory of what had happened.

Nicholas Armstrong, 50, entered the home of the 75 year-old widower in November last year before setting on him. He hit him several times with the extinguisher that he had picked up rom inside the property during the vicious attack.

Whilst the elderly man was defenceless on the floor, he continued to rain down repeated blows. He then took cash and bard cards from his victim's trouser pocket before leaving and using them to purchase items from shops close to the address in Blackburn, Lancs.

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Miraculously the victim managed to drive himself to hospital where he remained for six weeks for treatment. He now has no memory of how he received his injuries or who was responsible.

However, a painstaking investigation by Lancashire Police identified Armstrong, who was arrested just days later, as the culprit. Armstrong was charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm and after being categorised as a dangerous offender by a judge, has now been sentenced to 18 years, with 13 years custody and an extended five-year licence period.

Speaking afterwards, Detective Constable Jack Greenhalgh, from the force's Blackburn CID, said: “I am pleased that the sentence handed down to Armstrong is a significant one, reflective of the severity of the offence, the danger that he presents to innocent members of the public and the vulnerability of the victim upon which this brutal and mindless attack was inflicted.

“I want to praise the victim for the bravery he has shown throughout this process. He