Cowardly thieves who targeted deaf victim

Two cowardly drug-fuelled thugs who attacked an 87-year-old deaf and partly blind man in his home and robbed him of his life savings have been jailed for four years.

The victim was left so distressed by the ordeal that he has moved out of the house he had lived in for 74 years. Dean Darby and Lloyd Bernard, both 27, targeted him as they knew he was deaf and lived alone,

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. They broke into his house in Collis Street, Amblecote, Stourbridge, during daylight while he was out having lunch.

When he returned and disturbed them, they punched him to the floor, threatened him with a hammer and put a curtain over his head.

The unnamed victim was made to give them a stash of £900 savings he kept under the carpet, along with £170 from his trouser pocket.

Judge Rosalynd Bush told them: "This was a despicable offence. He no longer feels safe enough to stay in a home where he has lived through a World War and that has memories of his childhood."

Darby, of Mountbatten Close, West Bromwich and Bernard, of Norman Street, Dudley, were high on cocaine and decided to burgle a house to get cash to buy more drugs on February 11.

When the victim got home and found them in his house, they had already written a message on a piece of paper telling him to give them money.

This showed they knew he was deaf, said Mr Hugh O'Brien Quinn, prosecuting.

His house had been ransacked by the pair, who overturned his sofa and ripped out his fireplace, he added.

When he gave them £170 they were not satisfied, so wrote "more" on another scrap of paper while threatening him with a hammer.

A neighbour heard the victim shouting so called police.

When officers arrived, Bernard, a father-of-one, kicked and tried to punch them. Both thugs pleaded guilty to robbery and Bernard also admitted assaulting a police officer.

Darby got four years in prison, while Bernard was given four years and eight months.