THUG WHO BEAT UP SOLDIER JAILED FOR 9 YEARS
N evil mugger who battered a Birmingham old soldier and fled with just £40 has been jailed for nine years. Frail Bill Hopkins, 79, suffered a broken jaw in the cowardly attack outside his home last November. Mugger Richard Christie , 48, pounced on the pensioner from behind, repeatedly punching and kicking him in the head. He ran off with the OAP's wallet - which contained the cash, bank cards and a card from his late wife's memorial service.
Other great stories
STUNNING SUMATRAN TIGER CAUSES A SPLASH
BURSTING from the water, a beautiful but deadly Sumatran tiger jumps for food in an Indonesian zoo .
THUG FISH LOOK LIKE THEY MIGHT BATTER PHOTOGRAPHER
STARING open-mouthed into the camera, this shocked fish looks out of place in the middle of its angry friends .
HUBBY LEFT ME FOR BEING A COUCH POTATO...SO I LOST 13 STONE
Most women would jump at the chance to put on some lipstick, sling on a pair of heels and head out for a romantic meal with their other half .
COUPLE TIE THE KNOT IN SPECTACULAR £45K HARRY POTTER WEDDING
A couple have tied the knot in a spectacular Harry Potter-themed wedding which cost £45,000 .
STUNNING BRITISH AUTUMN LANDSCAPES
From the rolling hills of the Brecon Beacons to the still waters in the Lake District, these photographs capture autumnal landscapes across Great Britain perfectly .
OPEN WIDE! MONKEY GIVES FRIEND AN UNEXPECTED DENTAL CHECK-UP
This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .
AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: HOTEL WITH A TWIST
These uninvited guests ELEPHANTLY make their annual trip through the reception of this welcoming lodge .
BEETLES DOOR
COULD this £5,000 auction of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool front door be the most bizarre celebrity sale yet? The door, which looks-like it may have been knocked – and possibly kicked – very hard during its past, was used by members of Britain’s most famous band to visit lead-singer Paul McCartney when he lived at the address from 1955 to 1964 .
BRITAIN'S LOST MILITARY HOSPITAL
WELCOME to all that remains of Britain's once state-of-the-art military hospital where plastic surgery was pioneered for injured WW1 troops who survived the SOMME .
MESMERISING FIELD PATTERNS
FULL OF STUNNING colours and swirling shapes, the furrows on these fields create a mix of mesmerising patterns .
UNLIKELY PLAYMATES: BRAVE CHICKS PLAY WITH A PYTHON
A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .
BETRAYED BY CANCER CON WOMAN!
Recovering from a rare form of breast cancer, Deborah Barnett, 43, of Stoke-on-Trent, thought she'd made it through the worst, but she was betrayed by former colleague Sandra Ramsay, of Mow Cop Road, Mow Cop, Stoke-on-Trent .