A DISGRACEFUL “career burglar” snuck into a blind and deaf pensioner's home and struck him over the head with a bottle before taking belongings including a specialised laptop and hearing aid accessories.

Tommy O’Leary walked into the man’s Chandler's Ford home in the middle of the day on  March 26 and “crept up on him” before striking the 77-year-old over the head with the bottle, causing blood to pour out of his head.

Entering through an unlocked door, he “wrestled” a Samsung tablet from his victim while also searching the man’s pockets in the abhorrent incident.

Sentencing him at Southampton Crown Court yesterday, Judge Rowland said: "It was gratuitous violence, wasn't it? There is no need for it."

The 50-year-old of Colson Close, Winchester also stole phones, a glasses case, hearing aid patches, a travel bag, vaccination documents and Euros during the burglary.

The man’s neighbour then called police when he saw O’Leary drinking bottles of beer outside the house.

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When officers arrived, they found O’Leary inside drinking a bottle of Peroni.

He was arrested at the scene.

The victim, who is partially deaf and has been registered blind since 1991, suffered two cuts to his head and was taken to hospital.

He had an x-ray but did not need stitches.

Judge Nicholas Rowland explained how when he was initially hit with the bottle, he thought there was a problem with his roof as he felt water on his head which later turned out to be blood.

O’Leary pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and another of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Speaking at his sentencing on Thursday, prosecutor Tom Ford said the homeowner had been a “particularly vulnerable victim”.

But mitigating, Charles Gabb said the man wasn’t targeted, saying: “Sometimes people go around simply trying doors”.

“The defendant’s not trying to escape responsibility or shift it on to somebody else”, he added.

Mr Gabb added that his client has “wrecked” his life with drugs and is “ashamed” and “appalled with what he has done”.

O’Leary, who has 33 previous convictions for 89 offences including 19 dwelling burglaries was jailed for 12 years for the violent incident.

Judge Rowland said that the laptop taken was the man’s “link with the outside world”.

Describing O’Leary as a “career burglar” he added: “It must have been apparent to you when you went in that he was vulnerable."