(HOLD) Indian-origin men jailed for robbing, beating pensioner

Two Indian-origin men in the British city of Leicester have been jailed for three years and eight months for attacking an elderly man in a robbery bid.

The Leicester Crown Court sentenced Harbans Singh and Varinder Singh for robbing and knocking to the ground an 80-year-old pensioner, leaving him with injuries on his hands and face at Belgrave Gate in Leicester Dec 11, the Leicester Merrcury reported Wednesday.

Prosecutor Jonathan Dunne told the court that the victim was walking to a shop to buy cigarettes when a man put his hand over his mouth from behind to stop him crying out and took out his wallet containing 40 pounds, his pension card, rent book and credit card.

The two men pushed the victim over and the elderly man's hands and face were badly bruised.

The victim was present in court to see his attackers sent to prison.

After the verdict was announced, he said the attack had left him shaken.

"I'm relieved to see they've been brought to court and punished," the victim was quoted as saying.

"How could they attack an old pensioner like they did? I think justice has been done and I hope they have learnt their lesson," the victim said.

The court heard that the men were drug addicts and had spent the money on heroin.

"You got in such a state with your need for heroin that you robbed a vulnerable 80-year-old man at night," sentencing recorder (judge) Simon Ward said.

Ward also said that the victim was lucky as he was not harmed more seriously.