A HOMELESS man has been jailed after punching a “vulnerable” 76-year-old man in the head as he passed him on a Worcester street.

Steven Shawyer, 31, of no fixed address, admitted a charge of assault by beating when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court.

Matt Dodson, prosecuting, said pensioner Alan Jackson had just bought a newspaper from a local store and was walking past the war memorial in Barbourne Road on Sunday, December 18, when he became aware of another man, Shawyer, walking near him.

In an unprovoked assault, Shawyer drew back his left fist and punched Mr Jackson in the side of his head, knocking his glasses off and making him feel dizzy.

As he looked around he caught sight of Shawyer running away.

Mr Dodson said the men had not exchanged a single word, or even a glance, before the incident.

“He had never seen the man who struck him before in his life. It was a totally unprovoked attack,” he said.

Defending, Brian O’Connell said Shawyer had received previous sentences for similar assaults and accepted that his record was not good.

“He wishes to apologise to the victim and he can give no account as to why he punched him,” he said.

“He has no drink or drugs issues or mental health problems.”

Sentencing Shawyer to eight weeks in prison, chairman of the bench Stuart Allerton told him: “This offence was committed against a vulnerable man and it was deliberate and totally unprovoked.

“It was a blow to the head and could have had very serious consequences.”