A teenage thug who viciously attacked pensioners in their own homes in a series of sickening attacks has been told by a judge that he now faces less time behind bars than his original sentence.

Aaron Davis, 18, meted out appalling violence on three elderly victims - including 89-year-old Jean McDougall, who was beaten so hard her false teeth came out.

The cowardly thug, then aged 17, savagely beat her and her 84-year-old husband in a shocking crowbar raid at their Hextable home.

Davis, of College Road, Hextable, later admitted three charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two charges of robbery, burglary of a shed and another burglary at a football pavilion in Hextable Park.

He was given an extended sentence of 15 years and six months, consisting of a custodial term of 10-and-a-half years and a licence period of five years, at Maidstone Crown Court on May 6.

Under extended sentences, prisoners have to serve two-thirds of any custodial term before becoming eligible for parole, as opposed to half under determinate sentences.

However, Davis was back in the dock in front of Judge David Griffith-Jones QC - who said he had "reflected" on the sentence and concluded he had not given "sufficient weight" to Davis's age at the time.

Furthermore, the judge said he had taken a "too pessimistic view" of the teenager's prospects of rehabilitation and therefore concluded that an extended sentence was "unnecessary and inappropriate".

Although Judge Griffith-Jones said he still considered Davis to pose a significant risk to the public, he added: "Given your relatively young age there is reason to believe that as you continue to mature, your risk factors should be capable of being addressed by appropriate interventions while you serve your sentence.

"Therefore, having faced approximately seven years behind bars before becoming eligible for parole, Davis will now serve five years and three months."

Before he altered his original sentence, Judge Griffith-Jones said it did not detract from the seriousness of the offences and the "appalling and distressing" consequences for Davis's victims.

Davis targeted the McDougall home in Panter's at 9am on October 15 last year.

He had been carrying a black holdall when he knocked at the door and asked Mrs McDougall for the time.

Around 15 minutes later, she went to the bathroom and noticed the black holdall on the floor - but then remembered nothing until she woke up in an ambulance.

Mrs McDougall was left with a broken nose and eye socket, a fracture to the base of her spine and other injuries consistent with being repeatedly kicked. She was beaten so hard that her false teeth came out and her glasses were broken.

The victim asked police to release images of her injuries to show the full severity of the attack.

Detectives investigating the case linked it to a previous offence in the same street the previous month.

An 81-year-old woman awoke from being unconscious on September 10 before calling her friend to say she had fallen over and hurt herself.

Ten days later in hospital, the victim remembered Davis had entered her home and assaulted her.

Police also linked a theft from this victim's shed after golf clubs were stolen and the shed set on fire.

Davis was identified after matching a description given by the victim and his DNA was found on the bag he had left at the crime scene.