A recluse from Withywood has been found guilty of grabbing a charity worker who knocked at his Bristol home.

Kevin Calderbank, of Arthurswood Road, denied a charge of false imprisonment in September last year.

Calderbank said he simply fell into Cecile Correa when she visited his flat cold calling on behalf of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. (RNID)

Miss Correa claimed the 50-year-old invited her upstairs before grabbing her arms, and she had to hit him with a trowel to escape.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court Miss Correa, 29, was calling at homes at about 6pm, hoping to get people to sign up for direct debits in aid of the RNID.

He told the court: "She called at Mr Calderbank's flat in Arthurswood Road and he opened the door.

"She explained she was fundraising for the RNID and he invited her into the hall.

"The door was closed and he gestured would she like to go upstairs?

"She declined and the defendant grabbed her arms, totally out of the blue, and she had to fight him off.

"There was a struggle and she managed to grab a trowel and strike him."

Mr Bell said the charity worker managed to open the door and escape.

Neighbour Margaret Ford heard a bang and then saw Miss Correa coming towards her, the court heard.

"She could see Mr Calderbank behind her," said Mr Bell. "She could see Cecile was distressed and Cecile ran into her flat.

"Cecile telephoned her colleague and Mrs Ford telephoned the police."

The court heard police arrived on the scene at 6.35pm and noticed Miss Correa had a split lip.

Shortly afterwards they visited Calderbank's flat and arrested him.

Calderbank told police he initially thought it was a man who knocked at his door.

He explained that because he was a recluse he did not have many friends.

Mr Bell told the court: "He said he didn't want to be in his flat with a strange person, he went to open the door and he slipped on some papers in the hallway and fell into the charity worker, so it was an accident.

"He said she pushed him away and she struck him with a garden tool and left the flat."

Calderbank described how he told Mrs Ford he had been hit, before he mopped up blood from his head, made a coffee and watched TV.

The case was adjourned for sentencing on July 30.