Alan Barnes' Attacker Told 'Jail Is Likely'

A man has pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob Alan Barnes, the disabled pensioner who received £330,000 in donations after being left too scared to return home after the attack.

Richard Gatiss was using legal highs at the time of the incident - and was refused bail at a previous hearing for his own safety.

The 25-year-old told Mr Barnes, who is visually impaired and weighs less than six stone, to "hand over your money" - but the victim said he had none. Gatiss ran from the scene when the 67-year-old shouted for help.

Mr Barnes, who has disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, broke his collarbone when he was pushed over by Gatiss while putting out his wheelie bin on 25 January.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Jamie Adams, defending, said: "He wishes me to say at this stage that he is shocked, horrified and deeply ashamed of what he did. He has not stopped thinking about Mr Barnes since this awful deed.

"Necessarily, he is segregated in prison because of the way people feel about him."

Gatiss was warned by Judge Paul Sloan QC that a prison term is likely when he is sentenced at a later date.

Following the attack, an online fundraising page was set up by Katie Cutler, a beautician who was left upset after reading about the mugging in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

Her campaign went viral, and more than £330,000 was pledged to Mr Barnes in a matter of days.

On the page, she wrote: "I was so upset that anyone could target a disabled pensioner and be so cruel.

"We can't take away what has happened but with a little donation we can make the future a prettier one and help towards the cost of his new home. Thank you all."

Mr Barnes is a well-known figure in his local area and is renowned for being able to quickly calculate how many days old someone is from their date of birth.

After receiving the cheque, he said: "It is just absolutely like a fairy story. You might read about it in a book, but it has come true. It is hard to find the words really - it was just a total, total surprise."