A teenager who was caught on CCTV carrying out a vicious attack on a 63-year-old man has been given a jail sentence.

Aaron Pritchard, aged 18, was seen punching and kicking Peter Warrent after he had fallen to the ground.

Sentencing him at Llandudno magistrates’ court, chairman David Gaffney said: “It could have been your dad. How would you have felt if someone had done that to your father?”

The incident occurred as Mr Warrent was walking home along Ferry Farm Road, Llandudno Junction, on March 8, surrounded by a group of teenagers.

Prosecutor Helen Hall said a girl who witnessed the attack called the police and Pritchard was seen on CCTV from a nearby office swinging a punch at Mr Warrent. He stumbled and was punched again.

“As Mr Warrent tried to get back up Pritchard was on top of him, and continued to punch him four or five times,” said Mrs Hall.

Mr Warrent’s glasses fell to the floor and he made his way home.

He suffered cuts and bruises, and in a victim impact statement later said: “I’m shocked and appalled that this happened to me in my own community and just a few steps from my own home. The persons responsible have no shame.”

Mrs Hall told the court: “The group of young men deliberately targeted an elderly victim.”

Pritchard, formerly of Llandudno Junction, now living in Colwyn Bay, pleaded guilty to common assault, and his solicitor Alex Fitzgerald said it was difficult to reconcile the person in the footage with the young man in court, who was genuinely remorseful and had acted out of character.

Pritchard told a probation officer he had not been with the other teenagers but had been called to join them. He accepted he had problems with anger management but had never acted in such a way before.

He was given an 18-week sentence suspended for 18 months and must also carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and attend a thinking skills programme.

He was also ordered to pay Mr Warrent £200 in compensation and a victim surcharge of £122.

A 16-year-old from Llandudno Junction pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Warrent and will appear in the youth court on July 21. Another 17-year-old pleaded not guilty and his trial will take place on September 7.