AN aspiring law student attacked a grandfather with a baseball bat, leaving him with horrific life-changing injuries.

Mohammed Shafiq was jailed for 10 years for repeatedly hitting his neighbour, Norman Foster, during a row over a broken fence panel.

Mr Foster spent four months in hospital after the “brutal” attack and is now unable to dress himself, go to toilet or shower on his own. He has been told he will never work again.

Following the sentence, Mr Foster said: “I don’t think he has been jailed for long enough. I have lost 17 years of my working life.

"I feel very angry about what has happened — he will still be able to see his child grow up despite what he has done. I now need carers to visit me throughout the day. I 'died' twice at the scene.”

Prosecutor David Lees told Bolton Crown Court that victims Mr Foster, aged 52, and his then partner Eileen Brooks, aged 44, had returned from an evening out in the early hours of April 7 and went to speak to neighbour Shafiq about an ongoing dispute over a fence panel in Cawdor Street, Farnworth.

Ms Brooks’ pet dog had escaped.

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The court heard Mr Foster was hit up to five times with the baseball bat.

Some of the blows were dealt while Mr Foster was on the gound.

When Ms Brooks tried to intervene she was hit in the face.

Shafiq, aged 22, formerly of Cawdor Street, Farnworth, fled but handed himself into police hours later claiming he punched Ms Brooks and hit Mr Foster twice — but did not use a weapon.

Mr Lees said: “Paramedics said Mr Foster was deeply unconscious and was breathing with difficulty. He was found to have cuts to the head.”

While he was in a coma Mr Foster was classified as being four out of 15 on The Glasgow Coma Scale — zero is dead.

Mr Foster had multiple skull fractures, broken ribs and bruises to his body.

He was kept in a medically induced coma and had to have surgery to relieve pressure on the brain due to swelling. He had to use a tube to help him swallow and a tracheotomy to help him to breathe.

Mr Foster has been left unable to write due to injuries to his left hand.

He was discharged from hospital in July but spent six weeks in a rehabilitation unit before being allowed home at the end of August .

Ms Brooks’ jaw was broken and she had four plates inserted. She is still in constant pain, the court heard.

Alex Langhorn, defending, said: “Shafiq doesn’t wish to minimise the injuries he has caused. He expresses remorse.

“The first blow of the weapon was excessive self-defence, the second two against Mr Foster were excessive.

"He said he was scared Mr Foster would get up. He wasn’t aware whether he was conscious or not.”

The court heard that Shafiq had planned to study law at the University of Central Lancashire and had “pride” in his education.

He had worked as a taxi driver and had taken a lease out on a shop to sell toys. He has an 18-month-old daughter and a stepdaughter.

Judge Peter Davies, sentencing, said the attack was “brutal and disturbing”.

He added: “Mr Foster had injuries that could have been fatal.

“Mr Foster needs help to use the toilet and to shower. These are private matters that people need to have for their own dignity. He is not able to do that.”

Shafiq admitted two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He was jailed for 10 years for the attack on Mr Foster and five years for attacking Ms Brooks. The sentences will run concurrently.