A pensioner just four days out of prison strangled a prostitute after he woke up in her bedroom and mistook her for a man.

James Camier, the father of former British Superbike champion Leon, was so drunk that he had passed out while engaged in the services of a sex worker.

But Canterbury Crown Court heard that as the woman was performing a sex act on him, the 72-year-old from Ashford awoke and "overreacted" violently, leaving her fearing for her life.

Despite having earlier professed his love for the woman, a "possessed-looking" Camier grabbed her by the throat, squeezing it with one hand while making a fist with the other.

He eventually released his grip and the terrified victim was able to phone police, who arrived to find the retired mechanical engineer still with his trousers around his ankles.

Camier, of Green Lane, Bethersden, was arrested and, although he admitted pushing the woman because he thought she was a man, he denied the offence of intentional strangulation.

However, having been due to stand trial on Tuesday, he pleaded guilty before a jury had been sworn in.

The court was told Camier, who is known by the name David, had been released from prison on January 7 this year, following a spell behind bars for driving while disqualified.

Four days later he phoned the sex worker and, despite his "rather incoherent" state, arranged to meet her, said prosecutor Dickon Edwards.

Once at her "office", he drank vodka before retiring to a bedroom and paying her £150 for 45 minutes of her time.

"During the course of the evening he professed his love for her," Mr Edwards told the court.

"She declined and rejected the proposals put to her.”

“I can't get the thought that I was going to die out of my head…”

The woman then began to perform sex acts on him.

The prosecutor said: "He became fidgety and kept jumping up and down so she told him to stay still. However, he suddenly jumped up and started referring to her as a man.

"She asked him to leave but he placed one of his hands around her neck and started to squeeze.

"He also clenched his other fist and held it towards her.

"It lasted a few seconds but caused the victim to fear significantly for her life."

The woman, who was left with bruising to her neck, later told police she feared she would be killed, describing herself as feeling "weak as a child".

Camier, however, was "unbelievably strong" and appeared "as if he was possessed and a lunatic", she said.

In a statement read to the court at the sentencing hearing, the victim added: "I felt vulnerable as a woman and I really felt, 'This is it.'

"I thought he was going to kill me and I had no way of protecting myself. I can't get the thought that I was going to die out of my head.

"The fear makes me feel horrible".

Camier, who has eight previous convictions for 16 offences, including sexual offences on a child in 2007 and causing serious injury by dangerous driving in 2018, was said to be remorseful for his actions.

Edward Fenner, defending, told the court that the septuagenarian, who suffers from a number of health conditions including asthma and arthritis, had passed out due to his drunken state and "essentially forgot" what was taking place with the woman.

"He said he woke up and thought a man was performing the sex act. He simply overreacted," added the lawyer.

The court also heard that having brought up his children following the break-up of his relationship with their mother, his sons have since "given up on him" because of his offending.

"He recognises that and is embarrassed to be before the court," added Mr Fenner.

But the argument that Camier's age and the impact custody would have on him provided any significant mitigation was rejected by the judge, who said that such an offence could only be met by an immediate prison sentence.

On jailing him for 14 months, Judge Simon Taylor KC told the pensioner: "Your victim feared for her life. She feared death. She felt violated, upset and vulnerable.

"She struggled to sleep after the event and had mental health difficulties as a consequence of your actions.

"As for your age, I don't consider that to be particularly compelling mitigation. You are 72 and if you want to go out and commit offences you will be punished as a 72-year-old.

"What is significant is that you had only just been released from prison and so the offence four days later was committed while on licence.

"Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody."

Camier, who was also handed a five-year restraining order, was recalled to prison following his arrest.

Therefore, time spent in custody for the intentional strangulation offence will not count towards his sentence.

A charge of common assault against the victim was ordered to be left on file at the end of the sentencing hearing.

When jailed for three-and-a-half years at the same court in 2018, it was said Camier had himself been a former professional motorcyclist.