A "vulnerable" man had his flat set on fire after his neighbour and an accomplice subjected him to a vicious beating with a baseball bat.

Thugs William Crump and Lawrence Cole targeted their victim knowing he had received his benefits money.

Canterbury Crown Court heard they repeatedly hit the man, described as a "weak and frightened individual", before taking £500 from a drawer and igniting the curtains.

At one point in the assault Crump, 35, who lived in the same multiple occupancy building, had even feared that his neighbour would be killed by 35-year-old Cole.

But the cowardly pair fled, leaving their injured victim in his smoke-filled room at the property in Frencham Close, Canterbury.

He was later taken to hospital with a suspected eye socket fracture and a laceration to his eyebrow.

Police found Cole sitting in his van, smelling of alcohol and uncooperative. Crump was arrested on his way to a probation appointment.

The two men, said by a judge to have "long and distinctively unattractive" criminal records with more than 100 offences between them, later admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Cole, of The Avenue in Hersden, also pleaded guilty to driving without a licence and without insurance, failing to provide a specimen and failing to attend court for an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Sarah Ellis told their sentencing hearing on Friday that Crump had spoken to the victim on December 10 last year to ask when he would be paid his benefits.

Having been told he would receive money the next day, Crump returned but this time with Cole.

"The pair went to the victim's room and, once inside, demanded money repeatedly," said Ms Ellis.

"He felt a very heavy blow to the back of his head and both attacked him, repeatedly striking him with their fists.

"He ended up on the floor where Cole continued to beat him with punches to his face.

"In fact, it was Crump who pulled him off, referencing the fact Cole was 'going to kill him', or words to that effect."

Not satisfied with just the pummelling, they then took the cash, set the curtains alight and left.

The intensity of the fire, which was extinguished by Kent Fire and Rescue Service, broke a window and damaged the interior. Residents also had to be evacuated.

"Had it not been put out it would have spread throughout the property," added the prosecutor.

Ms Ellis said the victim had managed to flee from his burning room and raise the alarm.

But, having been taken to hospital suffering from head injuries and smoke inhalation, he later discharged himself against medical advice.

"He was vulnerable, addicted to drugs and lived alone. He strikes as being quite a weak character and has had to move," she told the court.

"He is quite a frightened individual and is extremely worried about repercussions."

Cole's 29 previous convictions for 66 offences include eight for violence, as well as burglary, criminal damage and threatening behaviour.

He was also subject to a community order for offences of battery and assaults on emergency workers when the baseball bat attack occurred.

Surinder Singh Gohlan, defending Cole, said he had been diagnosed with ADHD as a child and that alcohol played "a significant part" in his offending behaviour.

"I asked him to write to the court but he said he finds it hard to express himself in words," he added.

"But he wanted to assure the victim that this is the end of the matter and that his conduct was completely unacceptable."

Crump told police after his arrest that he had seen the blaze but was not involved.

The court heard he has 14 previous convictions for 42 offences, including two for violence, as well as burglary and criminal damage.

His lawyer, Phil Rowley, told the court that is was "proper to draw attention" to the fact that on the victim's account of events, it was Cole who had taken the money and hit him with the bat, and Crump who brought the beating to a halt.

"There is remorse, he recognises that what he did was thoroughly improper and, through me, he expresses his apology to the victim," he added.

Jailing Crump for 25 months and Cole for 23 months, Judge Mark Weekes said that having carried out the assault and taken the victim's money, the fire was started with "intent to intimidate".

But he added that although Crump was not "the architect of real violence", he had played the role of "instigator and planner".

Addressing the pair on their long history of offending, the judge said that he hoped it would be the last time a court had to tell them to "clean up their acts".

Cole was also banned from driving or applying for a licence for two-and-a-half years.