A MAN who viciously attacked an innocent pensioner in the street and then fled to China for two years has been jailed.

Kaash Riaz, 22, initially claimed the person had said something to provoke him but after initially being charged in 2014, left Scotland and only returned in January, being immediately locked up.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court he was jailed for 22 months despite claiming he should be allowed to return to his studies next month.

At about 4pm on August 22, 2014, in Boclair Road, Bearsden, a 66-year-old man was walking home when Riaz attacked him, punching him to the head and causing him to fall to the ground to his severe injury.

Initially the man didn’t seek medical attention but when he couldn’t sleep because of pain in his face, he went to hospital and was later found to have a fracture to the left cheek and needed a metal plate inserted.

Riaz returned to the UK on January 10 this year, heard the court, and was remanded in Greenock Prison.

He pleaded guilty last month to the assault and to failing to appear at a hearing on April 14, 2015 at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

At a previous hearing, the court heard Riaz claimed the victim “looked at his brother’s beard” and there was an altercation. But he accepted is behaviour was unacceptable “for just staring at a beard”, said his defence solicitor.

Sheriff William Gallacher had pointed out the sentence for evading justice alone was up to five years, quite apart from the serious assault.

Yesterday, his solicitor told the court: “In his words, he was stupid, and having committed the offense, I would be inclined to agree with that.

“He told his solicitor he had the opportunity to travel. What was not told was the duration. His naivity caused him to bury his head in the sand and make a life in China.

“This incident seems to have been born out of absolutely nothing. He is hopeful to complete his studies in China and one day work as a translator.”

Sheriff Gallacher told Riaz, “Your actions delayed and denied justice” and that such was the level of violence and gravity of the offence he had no option but to jail him.

The 22-month sentence was backdated to January 11.