A MAN HAS been sentenced to four years in prison for a brutal attack on a disabled pensioner which left the 67-year-old with a broken collarbone.

Alan Barnes was mugged outside his home in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, in January.

25-year-old Richard Gatiss, who pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob at Newcastle Crown Court, was handed the jail term today, the BBC reports.

At a press conference afterwards, Barnes said it was “just about the right length of time”.

“I hope while he’s in prison he’ll do some thinking and when he comes out he’ll do something useful for people,” the pensioner added.

News of his ordeal prompted beautician Katie Cutler to set up an online fund for Barnes -  initially hoping to raise just £500 to help him relocate.

Donations flooded in, however, and the campaign eventually raised more than £300,000.

Cutler presents Barnes with his cheque. Source: PA Wire

Gatiss, from Split Crow Road, was caught after DNA traces were found in Barnes’s jacket pocket, the Telegraph reports.

Speaking today alongside Cutler, Barnes said he was almost “100 per cent” recovered from his injuries – and was moving into a new terraced house.

Alan Barnes stands on Newcastle Quayside, Newcastle, with Katie Cutler. Source: PA Wire/Press Association Images

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