A drunken man attacked an 81-year-old pensioner in her own home hitting her around the head and leaving her fearing she would die after he put his hands round her neck and pushed her face down onto a sofa,

Edvardas Kolobanovas, 35, forced his way into the Watton home of the pensioner after banging on her door in the early hours, Norwich Crown Court heard.

William Carter, prosecuting, said during the attack the pensioner was pushed to the floor and dragged around her home and at one point feared for her life thinking: 'This is it. I'm definitely going to die.'

However, she managed to phone her grandson to get him to call police and they arrived within seconds and the victim was able to get away.

Mr Carter said police had to deploy incapacitant spray to detain him.

He said the victim suffered from bruising on her arms and in an impact statement the victim said she now feels nervous and unsafe in her own home and said: 'My home will never appear the same to me now and I would like to move.'

He said when interviewed Kolobanovas said he had been drinking and could not remember anything about the attack but said he was shocked to hear how he behaved.

Kolobanovas, of Jubilee Road, Watton, who had the help of a Lithuanian interpreter in court, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, on November 9, last year, and was given a 10-year extended sentence.

Under the sentence he will serve six years custody and be on four years extended licence on his release

Judge Stephen Holt told him: 'This is an extremely distressing case. It was a sustained assault on an 81-year-old in her own home in the middle of the night during which you made her fear she was going to die. There is no real explanation for it. In my judgement you pose a significant risk of serious harm to the public.'

Andrew Oliver, for Kolobanovas, who has no previous convictions, said he came to the UK about two years ago to work.

He said that Kolobanovas had been drinking heavily that night and had not targeted the address of the victim.