A burglar who assaulted a pensioner when he was caught in the act has been jailed for three years and nine months.

Karl Hegarty pushed good samaritan Alfred Wakely when he confronted the drug addict after spotting him breaking into a neighbour's home.

But after hearing the 28-year-old had a string of previous convictions, including burglary to feed his habit, a judge sitting at Swindon Crown Court sent him to jail.

David Martin, prosecuting, told the court Mr Wakely, 67, and his wife were at home over the lunchtime of Tuesday, October 14 last year when they saw a youth on a bike with no saddle.

He said the cyclist, who turned out to be Hegarty, went to the house of Winifred Morris who is in her late 70s and lives across the road in Copper Beeches, Hilperton. After looking through the letter box the youth tried the front door and went inside the house.

Mr Martin said: "Mr Wakely went over to the neighbour's house and rang the bell.

"She had been in the garden and came inside to answer the door.

"Mr Wakely called out up the stairs and Hegarty came down and manhandled Mr Wakely out of the way causing injury to his right arm."

He said Hegarty made off on the bicycle but the police were called and he was arrested soon after.

Mr Martin told the court that at the time of the offence Hegarty was in breach of both a probation order and community service imposed for numerous thefts from Tesco and Dixons in Trowbridge. A couple of weeks later Hegarty was also placed on a deferred sentence for stealing groceries from Safeway in Bath.

Hegarty, of Whaddon Lane, Hilperton, pleaded guilty to burglary, assault and breaching both orders.

David Chidgey, defending, said: "He (Hegarty) says he doesn't want a drug treatment and testing order. He said he was afraid when he came out he would be taking drugs and offending anyway."

He said Hegarty accepts he pushed the man, and so assaulted him, but he was only trying to get away and made no effort to punch the man.

Sentencing him Recorder Tim Grice said "The court cannot continue to ignore breaches of orders and thefts and burglary from the elderly.

"I have to think of my duty to the public and what they expect me to do to protect them."