A THUG attacked a 60-year-old man who was a complete stranger to him and threatened to ‘kill’ him after forcing his way into a Greenock house.

Dean Footitt, 23, kicked a living room window off its hinges before clambering inside the property and launching into a frenzied punching onslaught.

Footitt rained down a succession of blows on his terrified victim’s head and face during the late-night attack because he had been turned away from the door by the female householder.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how jobless Footitt — who has been jailed for two years over the inexplicable assault — swore at the man and shouted: “I’m gonnae kill you!”

The man pleaded in vain with Footitt to stop hitting him, and even tried to hold his arms as he said: “Look son, please stop this will you.”

But the multiple offender — who has a previous conviction for assault — ignored the man’s appeals and continued to hit him.

Procurator fiscal depute Pamela Brady told how the 40-year-old woman tenant of the house had known Footitt since he was a child but the other man was unknown to him.

Mrs Brady said: “The 60-year-old man was sitting having a few drinks with the woman when she became aware of someone trying to open the door at around 10.30pm.

“It was locked and she opened it to find the accused and she told him that he was not getting in.

“The accused began banging on the door.

“He then approached the living room window, which was partially open.

“He began to kick the window, forcing it off its hinges and it landed on the living room floor.

“The accused climbed inside the house and began to repeatedly punch the man.”

The court heard that the victim’s right eye was completely closed over as a result of the sustained attack. His face was also swollen and he had a cut to his right ear and another laceration above his left eyebrow.

Mrs Brady said: “The man didn’t know the accused and he had no idea why he was being attacked by him.

“He fell to the floor but managed to get back up while the accused was still punching his face.”

The prosecutor added: “The woman tried to intervene and then she went to a neighbour’s house for help.

“Police found the accused to be shouting and bawling and making threats of violence towards them.

“Officers later traced 60-year-old man and saw that he appeared to be significantly injured.

“He has said that he was very badly shaken up by the whole experience.”

Footitt committed the forced entry and assault offences at a property in Greenock’s Carwood Street on April 29.

He also behaved in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm, repeatedly shouted, swore, uttered threats of violence and challenged two police officers to fight.

Defence lawyer Aidan Gallagher told the court how his client is a ‘binge drinker’ who had ‘drank to excess’ at a party elsewhere that night before going to the woman’s house.

Mr Gallagher said: “That has affected his recollection of this matter and his conduct.

“Mr Footitt is not proud of himself and he is quite remorseful.

“It is perhaps by good fortune that the complainer’s injuries were not worse.

“He accepts that this would have been a frightening experience for him.”

Sheriff Derek Hamilton, left, noted that Footitt has previous convictions for police assault and abusing emergency services workers.

In jailing Footitt, the lawman said of the latest offence: “This kind of behaviour can’t be accepted. You attacked a man you didn’t know.

“You forced your way into this house and attacked a stranger.”