A man convicted of beating a retiree with a baseball bat in an unprovoked attack has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

Vincent Outerbridge, 40, was found guilty of wounding 70-year-old Stephen Bainbridge with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, along with possessing an offensive weapon and destruction of property.

Mr Bainbridge gave evidence during the trial last year, but died shortly after.

The court had heard that on June 30 last year, Outerbridge had been at the Clearview Guest House in Hamilton Parish where Mr Bainbridge lived with Outerbridge’s cousin, who was employed as Mr Bainbridge’s carer.

Mr Bainbridge testified that Outerbridge was a regular visitor to the property, and on the evening of the incident had been playing drafts with him. Outerbridge allegedly became angry after losing several rounds, saying: “Just because you’re white doesn’t mean you should win all the time.”

The argument escalated and Outerbridge left the property, but he later returned wielding a baseball bat.

Outerbridge struck Mr Bainbridge repeatedly, causing a 12cm deep wound on the victim’s head which required eight staples to close.

He then swung the bat at several windows on the property, causing more than $3,000 in damage.

During the trial Outerbridge had denied the attack, telling the court that he had left the property before the attack took place, but after being convicted he told report writers that the incident was fuelled by alcohol.

He said that prior to the incident he had been informed that his cousin had told his grandmother that he had been going around trying to sell gold to people.

Outerbridge said he had no intention of confronting his cousin about the allegation but changed his mind after having several drinks. He said his cousin blamed Mr Bainbridge for spreading the story, so he struck the senior who fell to the ground and split his head.

He said he then turned his attention to his cousin, who had retreated into the house and locked the door. He said he then picked up a piece of wood on the property and began smashing windows, only leaving after a neighbour told him the police had been called.

Outerbridge told report writers: “I need to do something about my drinking problem. It should never have come to this.”

Addressing the court on sentencing, Outerbridge apologised to the victim’s family for the attack, saying he is aware he had a problem with alcohol that must be addressed.

“I know I have to leave alcohol alone,” he said. “I cannot control myself while drinking. I would just like to get home and spend time with my family.”

Delivering his sentence, Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves said: “The complainant was an elderly man and a feeble man who had been so for some time and needed live in care. This was, in my view, a serious and unprovoked attack on him. A blow to the head with a baseball bat.”

The judge noted the change in the defendant’s version of events following conviction, but said that even if the issue of alcohol had been raised during the trial a sentence of between three and five years in prison would still be appropriate given the aggravating features of the case.

“A look at the defendant’s record seems to indicate why it made sense that he did react in the manner in which he did on the night of the incident,” he said. “He has several convictions going back to 2003 for assaulting police officers, resisting them, using offensive language and so on.

“It seems to give credence to the evidence of the complainant that it was after he beat him in the game that he took objection to being beaten.”

Mr Justice Greaves sentenced Outerbridge to three years in prison for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and 12 months in prison for both possessing a weapon and destruction of property. He ordered that all three sentences run concurrently with time already served taken into account, but ordered that the sentence be followed by a three-year period of probation.

Conditions of probation include that Outerbridge refrain from the use of drugs and alcohol, agree to random drug tests and participate in any and all rehabilitation programmes recommended by Court Services.