A PENSIONER has avoided an immediate spell in prison despite chasing and beating a man.

Arthur Wood, 72, of Pool Court, Pickering, was handed a two year suspended sentence at York Crown Court after pleading guilty to actual bodily harm.

Wood, who was last in court 45 years ago, is said to have had a long standing dispute with the man he attacked on June 23, 59-year-old Robert Smith.

The pair both knew each other as regular punters in Pickering Working Mens Club and had a mutual dislike of one another.

York Crown Court heard Mr Smith was walking along Goslipgate, in Pickering, at 2pm with his wife and daughter, when Wood pulled alongside the family in his Ford Transit Van.

He told Mr Smith: “I’m going to ******* kill you. You are dead. You’ve had it.”

Mr Smith told the defendant to leave him alone, but he pulled up nearby, got out and started to chase his victim with what was described as a pick axe handle or baseball bat, around 4ft long.

York Press:

Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said: “While chasing him the defendant shouted 'I’m going to ******* kill you!' He caught up with Mr Smith and started hitting him in the body, which caused Mr Smith to fall into a garden. In the garden was a children’s tractor toy which Mr Smith picked up to shield himself from the blows.”

Mr Smith lost consciousness and suffered bruising all over his body.

His 37-year-old daughter had to run home to get help from her partner, Kevin Howe.

When Mr Howe arrived, Wood had already returned to his van and he struck Mr Howe once on the arm with the weapon.

Wood returned home and was arrested 45 minutes later.

Patricia Doherty, defending, said her client regretted what happened and apologised through her to Mr Smith and Mr Howe.

Judge Paul Batty, QC, suspended the sentence for two years and made Wood subject to a Restraining Order, which bans him from going near the victims and their families, and Goslipgate.

He told Wood he had decided not to jail him because of his age and a number of glowing references from people he had helped throughout his life.

He added: “You are 72 years of age and men of your age should not go about in market towns of Yorkshire waving pick axe handles.

“It’s perfectly plain you have lost all sense of rhyme or reason.

“Whatever the whys and wherefores of what happened in the street, the fact is he was with his wife and daughter, you were in your van, and he was absolutely no threat to you.”