Thug who battered a Wigan pensioner with an extendable baton jailed for six years

Callous Joseph Fishwick launched the unprovoked attack after forcing his way into 69-year-old Ian Harris’s house in Warrington Road, Ince, on the evening of November 27 last year.

Bolton Crown Court was told that the assailant rained down blows on his victim as he vainly tried to defend himself, suffering defence injuries in the process.

And it remains a mystery as to why Fishwick carried out the brutal assault in the first place.

Mr Harris was left with a fractured arm and finger, extensive bruising and lacerations to head which had to be closed with staples, prosecutors told the judge.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Harris said: “I still struggle to understand why the person responsible came to my home and attacked me so viciously.”

Fishwick, 28, of Malvern Crescent, Ince, pleaded guilty to a single charge of aggravated burglary – entering Mr Harris’s home as a trespasser with intent to cause grievous bodily harm – and as well as the six-year custodial term, he was ordered to make a payment to victim services and the weapon has been confiscated for destruction.

The hearing was told that it was shortly before 9.15pm on Saturday November 27 that police officers were called to a disturbance at an address in Warrington Road.

They found that a man had knocked on the front door and when the victim answered, he was immediately and repeatedly assaulted with a baton.Emergency services attended and Mr Harris was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Police had quickly arrived at the property and located Fishwick. However, following a brief struggle with officers, he managed to break free and flee the scene.

But images of the suspect at the victim’s address caught on police body cameras were published along with a media appeal and eventually Fishwick was arrested and charged.

Det Con David Law, of GMP Wigan’s Criminal Investigation Division, had described the incident as “a vicious attack on an elderly and vulnerable man who was unable to defend himself.”

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