Pensioner says his ‘family turned against him’ after ex’s grandson battered him

‘Because I told the truth, I’m the bad one. All I want is a decent life.‘

An elderly man says he is ‘living a nightmare’ after being beaten to a pulp by his ex-partner’s grandson.

George Ford, 71, claims his whole family have turned against him after he reported the attack, which was so violent he thought he had been slashed across the face with a Stanley knife.

Mr Ford was watching TV on November 23 when Ryan Annis, 24, arrived at his home with cash for his grandmother, who was staying with him at the time.

He told Annis to leave the cash – believed to be £20 – on the mantelpiece when Annis accused him of trying to get the money for himself.

After some heated words, Mr Ford said Annis repeatedly punched his face and even tried to strangle him with a phone lead.

Mr Ford said he shouted ‘I’m going to kill you, you b*****d’ so he got on the phone to the police.

The police heard what was going on but Annis ran off as soon as he realised officers were on their way, the pensioner said.

‘The punches were that hard, I thought he had used a Stanley knife,’ he said.

‘While I was on the phone with the police, I kept being punched by him. He then grabbed the phone lead and tried to strangle me with it.’

The retired painter and decorator, from east Hull, said the attack left him with a fractured cheek bone, bruising and a bad back.

Annis was jailed for four years on Wednesday after admitting the brutal attack.

But Mr Ford now fears for his life while having to deal with the fallout from Annis’ immediate family.

He said: ‘That night he just attacked me out of the blue and I didn’t ask for it, of course I didn’t, and I have lost everything.

‘For him to attack me, I’ve had to have counselling and all his family are against me and for him to get locked up for six months and then jailed for four years – his family thought he would walk.

‘People are saying stuff now about me because I’ve been terrified of the courts and I never been in trouble with the police.

‘I just want to run away and not come back. I came to the point where I wanted to take my own life and I break down. I’ve been living a nightmare and he has a lot of friends on the outside – and I am frightened of that.

‘I am frightened they will come and find me and attack me.’

The Hull City Council volunteer said he let Annis live in his home for three years, but they never became friends.

He added: ‘I tried to help him and gave him odd jobs to do, but he was just so f***ing violent to me when his family members were not around.’

Speaking through tears, Mr Ford added: ‘Because I told the truth, I’m the bad one. All I want is a decent life and left alone.’