Todmorden – An 81-year-old man was left housebound for six months after a brutal attack by a homeless man in Todmorden. The assailant, Nicholas Bradshaw, 41, has been sentenced to three years in prison following the violent assault that left the elderly victim with severe injuries.
Bradshaw, a crack cocaine and heroin addict, attacked the pensioner in March as the man was walking home carrying a bag of shopping. The court heard that the previously active victim was struck down after Bradshaw, in a fit of anger, threw his bicycle at him, knocking him to the ground. The elderly man suffered a fractured hip and spent a week in the hospital, where he required surgery to insert pins and a plate. He also endured a seizure in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and now relies on a walking stick.
During the sentencing at *Bradford Crown Court*, Judge Timothy Clayson described the victim’s agony, noting that the attack had severely impacted the man’s life, leaving him fearful and unable to leave his home for half a year.
Bradshaw was detained after a quick-thinking motorist followed him on his bike and performed a citizen’s arrest before police arrived. A knife was found near the scene, but Bradshaw’s defence barrister, Jonathan Turner, claimed the blade was used only for opening tins and preparing food. Turner explained that Bradshaw, who had been living in a tent and begging for work, was deeply remorseful, describing his actions as the result of a drug-addled state.
“He’s desperately ashamed of what took place,” Turner said, adding that Bradshaw had been trying to wean himself off drugs since his arrest in March.
Bradshaw admitted to charges of unlawful wounding and possession of a bladed article. The judge concluded that while the exact reasons for Bradshaw’s sudden anger towards the pensioner were unclear, the attack was unprovoked and unjustifiable.
The case serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive effects of addiction and the devastating consequences of violence, especially against vulnerable members of society.
Nicholas Bradshaw has been incarcerated following the appalling assault on an elderly man, aged 81, who was in the midst of carrying his groceries at that moment.
