A MAN “hell bent on gratuitous violence” has been locked up for 12 years after he badly beat a man for cash and strangled him with his own fairy lights.

Daniel Fear, of Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, attacked Justin Love shortly after midnight on January 11 this year at his home at The Chocolate Box at Christchurch Road in Lansdowne, Bournemouth Crown Court heard on Thursday.

The 27-year-old eventually pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary following weeks of delayed hearings.

Judge Robert Pawson told Fear that his targeted attack on 46-year-old Mr Love had “more than a whiff of Reservoir Dogs” about it after he beat his victim with his own ornaments, lacerating his face and chest in several places, dislocating his shoulder, fracturing ribs and severing his ear with wire cutters he’d taken with him.

The court was told Mr Love had answered the door believing it to be a friend when he was faced with balaclava-wearing Fear. He tried to slam the door closed but Fear forced his way in and quickly rained blows upon his victim, demanding debit cards and pin numbers.

He left the bloodied top floor flat with Mr Love’s mobile phone and £80 in cash.

Fear was arrested a short while later, prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said, after leaving the balaclava and the secateurs behind. Mr Love’s DNA was found on Fear’s trousers.

“It smacks of torture,” Judge Pawson said, adding he believed people would be afraid merely reading of his actions, describing it as “the stuff of nightmares”.

In his victim impact statement Mr Love said he had had numerous subsequent hospital visits. His ear alone required 14 stitches. He said: “It’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The court heard Mr Love had earlier that evening been heard talking about a recent divorce settlement and this may have been a motive for Fear’s attack. However it could not be proven by the investigating officers.

Judge Pawson added: “I’m satisfied that whether you remember it or not that was your motive.”

Mr Ellacott said Fear had 25 previous convictions for 45 offences.

Mitigating, Brian Sharman, told the hearing Fear had had a troubled start in life and claimed to have drank so heavily the night of the attack he claimed not to be able to remember anything.

“This man is in a lot of trouble and he is expecting to go to prison for years,” he said.

Fear was given an extended licence period of three years as he posed a danger to the public, Judge Rawson said, and he was ordered to pay an undisclosed victim surcharge.