TWO robbers who tied up and beat a pensioner while ransacking his home have been jailed.
Reece Dinsdale, 20, and accomplice Dylan Coles, 19, were each sentenced to eight years and nine months in jail at Hull Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to the "thuggish" robbery in which retired engineer, Michael Wilkinson, 65, feared for his life.
Cole was high on mephedrone – also known as M-Cat – and Dinsdale, who lived opposite Mr Wilkinson, was drunk when they burst into his west Hull flat in the early hours of July 17.
Wearing hats and scarves to hide their faces, they tied Mr Wilkinson up by his ankles.
They then took it in turns to strike him with a cosh, kick, stamp on and repeatedly punch him for an hour and a half – even taking rings from his fingers – while Mr Wilkinson begged the pair to stop the violence.
The Honorary Recorder of Hull and the East Riding, Judge Michael Mettyear, told Dinsdale, of Somerset Street, west Hull, and Coles, of Carol Dickson Court, west Hull: "You both knew Mr Wilkinson was an elderly, vulnerable man, living alone and you knew he would not be able to put up much resistance. He was chosen as a victim for those reasons."
Dinsdale lived in the flat opposite at the time and Mr Wilkinson had previously lent him and his girlfriend money and food.
The two offenders knocked on his door at 1.20am and when he answered, Dinsdale punched him to the floor, knelt on his throat and told Cole to start looking.
During the attack, Mr Wilkinson begged them to stop.
He needed stitches in his eye, lip and elbow, and suffered bruises and cuts to his chest and legs.
Dinsdale's barrister, Anil Murray, and Bernard Gateshill, representing Coles, both said the pair felt "remorseful" about the attack.
But Judge Mettyear said that and the fact they were intoxicated was not enough to justify their actions.
He added: "The only mercy he was shown was a watch he had sentimental attachment to was left at his request, showing some degree of humanity.
"He suffered heavy punches to the head, his legs were tied together, a cosh was used. He was kicked and stamped on and rings were taken from his fingers.
"The injuries suffered could have been worse, but they were bad enough. This was truly terrible.
"Courts need to send a clear message thuggish and violent behaviour will not be tolerated."
