A thug viciously attacked a pensioner – just because he sat down next to him on a public bench.

John Eamer, 26, pushed 67-year-old Michael Hannis off the bench, sending him sprawling to the floor in a shopping mall.

When Mr Hannis got back to his feet he was in such a dazed state that he actually apologised, saying to Eamer: "Sorry, I just wanted to sit on the bench."

Eamer retorted: "No, get off."

Mr Hannis started to walk away but Eamer leapt to his feet and punched the OAP in the face, knocking him to the ground for a second time.

Shocked passers by called an ambulance and as Mr Hannis was being taken to hospital a woman security guard became Eamer's next victim.

When she tried to speak to him he punched her face, knocking her to the ground.

Two other people then also fell victim to Eamer's inexplicable violence before he was overpowered and arrested, prosecutor Lisa Hennessy told Gloucester Crown Court.

Eamer, of Gloucester, pleaded guilty to assaulting Hannis and security officer Korreem Hamlin causing them actual bodily harm. He further admitted common assaults on security officer William Jalowik and PC Joanna Stevens.

Mrs Hennessy said that after the initial attack on Mr Hannis, security officer Ms Hamlin went in pursuit of Eamer and confronted him in Clarence Street, Gloucester.

She said, "Can I have a word?" and Eamer responded by hitting her in the face 'extremely hard' with a right hook punch, knocking her to the ground, the prosecutor said.

Eamer ran to the city bus station where Miss Hamlin, despite her injury, pointed him out to colleagues and a police community support officer, Mrs Hennessy said.

Security officer Jalowik and PC Stevens were then also assaulted by Eamer before he was finally overpowered and arrested.

Mr Hannis was taken to hospital after the assault on him and had treatment for a one centimetre cut inside his lip. Ms Hamlin needed treatment for facial bruising.

Mr Hannis said afterwards: "This was totally unprovoked – I can't understand why he did it. If he didn't want me to sit there he only had to say."

Mrs Hennessy said that when Ms Hamlin first confronted Eamer the fear went through her mind that there would be no one to look after her son if something happened to her.

Lloyd Jenkins, defending, said "He knows he is going to prison. The only mitigation in this case is his timely guilty plea.

"The attack on a 67-year-old man cannot be minimised or justified. There was absolutely no need for it. What the security officers and police officer received from him was also unjustified.

"He does confirm his regret and remorse. I have asked him why he did this and he cannot give me a reason. He says it was stupid and he was not thinking."

Judge Mark Horton jailed him for a total of 15 months. He told Eamer: "The public are entitled to be protected from unprovoked assaults in public places – all the more so when the victims turn out to be an elderly 67-year-old man whose sole crime was to want to sit on a public bench for a few moments.

"You assaulted him and then when he apologised to you, you punched him, knocking him backwards.

"A female security officer who saw what had taken place very bravely attempted to intervene and in her case you responded by punching her in the face, requiring her to receive hospital treatment for a bruised cheek area.

"That was not enough because you then went on to assault another security officer who came to the scene and then another. You have provided no explanation whatsoever.

"There can be no explanation, in fact, that can possibly justify your assaults on four different people.

"They were completely motiveless crimes."