An alcoholic pensioner who struck out at a man with a prosthetic leg this week found himself before magistrates charged with assault by beating.

Pleading guilty to the charge before Llanelli magistrates was Nick Heatherly, 64.

The incident took place on the afternoon of April 25 when Heatherly confronted Mr Andrew Barnicott.

“The defendant approached him and began shouting about a gardening issue,” Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Llanelli magistrates.

“Mr Barnicott had no idea what the defendant was talking about. But the defendant then caught him by the arm and pushed him backwards and because of his prosthetic leg, he fell.”

Ms Baker went on to say that another man, Mr Jack Mckie, then approached the couple to find out what was going on.

“He walked over to see what was happening but he was in fear of violence,” she added. “The defendant was spitting at him and calling him a c***.”

After hearing the evidence, magistrates requested a short adjournment for a probation report.

They were subsequently told that Heatherly, of Llys Picton, Carmarthen, has a long-term issue with alcoholism and suffers from depression and anxiety.

He also has previous convictions of possession of an offensive weapon, assault on a police officer and public order offences.

For the offence Heatherly was fined £120 fine and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £95 surcharge.

He was also given a 12 month community order and ordered to complete a 15 day rehabilitation course.