A thug has been jailed after he deliberately knocked an elderly man wearing women’s clothing off his bike with a shopping bag.

Autistic John Anderson went tumbling into a car and suffered a fractured collarbone, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

Wearing a beige dress, black tights and black wedge shoes, Mr Anderson - described as eccentric - was cycling along the pavement in Dock Road, Chatham, on the afternoon of September 10.

Prosecutor Trevor Wright said witnesses saw Colin Sayer, who is blind in one eye, swing a full shopping bag which struck Mr Anderson on the head.

The car driver, Darren Kitchener, told police he saw Sayer, 48, strike the cyclist with the bag. It caused him to swerve off the pavement into the path of the car.

The 68-year-old victim - known as Nobby - was thrown onto the windscreen and then rolled off onto the road.

Jason Dunn-Shaw, defending, said Mr Anderson was well known as something of an eccentric who rode his cycle on the pavement shouting and swearing at passers-by.

“He was not picking on someone for their vulnerability,” he said of Sayer. “You have someone walking along approached by someone shouting and swearing.

“The reaction was limited violence. The injury was not directly caused. It becomes reckless.”

“This was an unprovoked assault on an innocent cyclist who was going about their daily business" - PC James Fullagar

Sayer, of no fixed address, who admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, had previous convictions for violence but none in the last 10 years.

Jailing him for 16 months, Recorder Peter Digney said he struck out at the cyclist where he should not have been on the pavement.

“I know such behaviour on the part of cyclists can be very annoying but it doesn’t justify what you did,” he said. “It is a serious offence. The injuries were serious and could have been a great deal worse.

“You have committed violence on and off throughout your life but I accept you haven’t done anything violent recently.”

PC James Fullagar, who investigated the case, said: “This was an unprovoked assault on an innocent cyclist who was going about their daily business.

“Sayer caused the cyclist to fall into the path of a vehicle and this incident could have had a far worse outcome.

“I’m pleased that Sayer has been jailed and I hope the time in prison allows him to reflect on his behaviour.”