Man punched elderly shop worker 18 times and stamped on his head

A man who tried to kill an 84-year-old shop worker has been jailed for 13 years.

Richard Wilson punched the man 18 times, stamped on his head, and kneed him in the face.

A woman stepped in to try to stop the victim from being hit further by shoving a display unit between her and Wilson as he went to confront the pensioner again.

The victim suffered a bleed on the brain as a result of the assault at the shop in Inverness on March 12 last year.

Wilson was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge at a hearing in Inverness.

Lord Colbeck also ordered Wilson be supervised for a further three years on his release.

The attack occurred around 9am after the elderly victim started work at his nephew’s shop and was captured on CCTV.

Wilson stormed in and demanded £50. The victim called a relative for help and also said he was going to call the police.

Wilson then went behind the counter and turned on the elderly man.

He grabbed the man by the neck, shoved him to the floor and began punching him to the face.

Prosecutor Anna Chisholm: “He took several bottles of vodka and stamped on his head and body multiple times.

“He then made to leave the convenience store as the injured man attempted to use the counter to pull himself up.”

But, Wilson returned to the victim, hitting him again before snatching a bundle of e-cigarettes.

The attacker was seen smirking as he then walked out.

A woman in the shop went to help the injured pensioner as Wilson then came back in.

She stood in front of the thug to stop him from getting at the victim again.

On being arrested later, Wilson told police: “I am heartbroken. I can’t believe what I have done.”

He confirmed that he had taken alcohol and drugs before the incident.

Lord Colbeck told Wilson: “I have not seen in my court an attempted murder as ferocious as this apart from one which involved weapons.

“It was an appalling attack on an elderly man doing his daily job and was made worse by you coming back to attack him again. The member of the public must be commended for her actions.”