A man has been jailed for three years after he tried to rob a victim in the street.

Damien Butterworth hit his victim with a pair of mole grips when he would not hand over any money.

Leeds Crown Court heard the victim had suffered head injuries some years ago in an accident which left him with symptoms that meant he looked drunk.

He was walking home in St Andrew’s Road, Huddersfield, on May 26 when approached by Damien Butterworth, who was on a bike.

Philip Adams, prosecuting, said Butterworth initially asked the complainant for a cigarette to start the conversation, but then grabbed him by his clothing and asked for money.

When the man refused, he demanded �1 and when that was again rejected he produced what the man thought was a pair of pliers or mole grips from his pocket and struck him to the right hand side of his head.

He then grabbed his victim’s trousers and tried to search him for money, but was pushed away. At the same time another man with Butterworth told him to “cool it” and pulled him away.

As soon as the victim got away he rang police and Butterworth was arrested nearby and mole grips were found on him. His victim suffered swelling and pain to his head but did not seek medical treatment.

Anastasis Tassou, representing Butterworth, said his life was a compendium of what turned somebody into a criminal.

Having been abused and neglected as a child he was taken into care and diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at five.

He was prescribed Ritalin, but continued to have problems and left school illiterate, unable to read and write but his offending only began when he turned 18 and was taken off Ritalin.

Butterworth, 22, of Swan Lane, Lockwood, admitted attempted robbery.

Sentencing him, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told Butterworth: “You clearly targeted a man you thought was vulnerable, I do not suggest you knew he was brain damaged, but he gives the appearance of being drunk and you no doubt thought that he was an easy target.

“I’m entirely satisfied had it not been for the intervention of the person with you matters would have been considerably worse.”