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A Widnes pensioner confronted by an aggressive drunk who tried to rob his bike put his attacker in hospital with a single punch.

Alan Townsend, 67, was on his way home from the pub with a friend when “very fit” ex-soldier Daniel Lowrie, 31, wrestled the bicycle from his grasp and threatened “I will f****** kill you”.

But Mr Townsend, fearing for his safety, floored the younger man leaving him with a bleed on the brain.

Lowrie, who had a “very successful” 10-year army career, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery after telling police he could not remember any of the incident, on September 1.

But he was spared jail at Liverpool Crown Court today after a judge heard he was suffering mental health issues - stemming from his experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Chris Taylor, prosecuting, said Mr Townsend was heading home from the Derby Pub with his friend Roy Evans along Widnes Road when Lowrie came running from the Bradley Pub.

Mr Taylor said: “Mr Townsend thought he was going to run straight into him, but the defendant grabbed the handle-bars of his bike and put the wheel between his legs.

“The defendant used considerable force to try and dislodge Mr Townsend from the seat and shouted, ‘give it me, I want your bike’.”

A struggle ensued which resulted in the bike being wrestled from Mr Townsend’s grasp and falling to the floor.

Mr Taylor told the court: “At that point the defendant squared up to him and said ‘come on you fat b******, I will f****** kill you’.

Witnesses said he was trying to make himself look bigger, was clenching his fists and was clearly in a fighting mood.

“Mr Townsend, who suffers from asbestosis, was struggling to catch his breath and stated he was panicking...because of that he struck out with his left hand, knocking the defendant to the floor.”

The court heard police had already been called to the scene by the landlady of the Bradley Pub, where Lowrie had been behaving aggressively shortly before the incident.

Officers found him lying prone on the floor and took him straight to Whiston Hospital, where he remained for five days.

Mr Townsend said he felt “terrible” after the struggle, which left him with soreness to his arm and back, a bruised knee and exacerbated his lung condition.

Andrew Scott, representing Lowrie, said his client accepted the full prosecution case but could not remember anything since finishing work at 12pm that day.

He said: “He was clearly drunk. He was put on his backside by a single punch from an elderly gentleman and he is a very fit young man.”

Mr Scott said Lowrie had a history of getting into trouble when he drank but gave up alcohol and sought help from military charity Walking with the Wounded, immediately after leaving hospital.

The court heard Lowrie struggled with mental health issues since leaving the army in January last year, and was due to undertake a full mental health assessment over suspected depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Judge Mr Recorder Woodhall, passing sentence, said: “I have no doubt that what you did was a shocking and frightening experience for Mr Townsend, who was going about his lawful business with his friend.”

However he said Lowrie had shown genuine remorse and had struggled since leaving the army, where he reached the rank of corporal.

Recorder Woodhall also said he took into account that “community minded” Lowrie had lost his job, helping teenagers find their feet after leaving care, immediately after being charged with the offence.

Lowrie, of Masefield Avenue in Widnes, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 220 hours unpaid work.

The judge also ordered him to work with the Probation Service on a rehabilitation scheme to help address his alcohol and mental health issues.

He told Lowrie as he left court: “You have been given a chance today, I highly recommend you seize it with both hands.”