A VICIOUS thug who mugged an autistic teenager, punched a staff nurse and assaulted a hospital patient in three separate unprovoked attacks, has been jailed for four years and eight months.

Daniel Nelson began his spree of violence from his bed on a ward at the Royal Blackburn Hospital when he hit nurse Gioele Attardo as the victim was treating him.

Just days later, Nelson walked into the hospital’s casualty department and set about a 64-year-old man in the waiting area, splitting his dentures in half.

He then calmly walked out while staff and members of the public rushed to the victim’s aid, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The court was told how the day after that, Nelson robbed a 19-year-old, who suffers from autism and Asperger Syndrome, while the victim sat on a bench outside a pub.

The defendant hit him with a bottle, demanding: “Give us all your money”, and threatened to stab the man if he didn’t hand it over. Nelson then knocked him to the ground and snatched £60 from his pocket.

Nelson, who has 130 offences on his criminal record, could offer no explanation for his outbursts. He is now said to be on medication.

The defendant, 31, of Chapel Street, Nelson, admitted two assaults on May 26 and 31 and robbery on June 1.

Passing sentence, Judge Beverley Lunt said the attack on the teenager was ‘very determined and sustained’.

The judge added: “These are very serious matters indeed.”

Prosecutor Stephen Parker said Nelson was at the hospital for treatment to his leg. As Mr Attardo was about to administer medication, the defendant hit him in the face, smashing his glasses and inflicting a cut to his nose and soreness and redness to his eye.

Five days later, Alan Eaves, 64, was in the hospital’s accident and emergency department, sitting awaiting eye treatment.

Nelson went and sat next to him and, without any warning, punched him to the side of the head with such force that it split his dentures and left him bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth.

Mr Parker said Nelson’s next victim was sitting outside a pub at about 5pm. The defendant sat next to the 19-year-old, drinking from a bottle of beer.

Nelson hit the teenager’s hand with the bottle and demanded all his money.

The victim got up and tried to back away but the defendant got hold of him, searched his trouser pockets, threatened to stab him and took £60.

James Heyworth, defending, said Nelson had accessed mental health help while on remand. Mr Heyworth added: “He is on medication but can’t say what the medication is.”