A vicious burglar who left a householder twice his age at death's door has been sent to jail indefinitely.

Gerald Murphy's victim, Ahmed Bashir, known as Peter, suffered horrendous spinal injuries which doctors described a similar to a car crash victim.

In the burglary "gone wrong" 31-year-old Murphy, who was wearing a balaclava, broke into his flat around breakfast time and found him shaving in the bathroom.

The frightened victim, a popular market stall trader, saw Murphy in his mirror and in the ensuing struggle his head was smashed with considerable force into the hand basin.

Murphy then stole £294 cash and left his victim lying in a pool of blood and he and his 15-year-old look-out went into Liverpool and swopped their clothes and trainers for new ones.

Sixty-three-year-old Mr Bashir, described as having no enemies, was found curled up and moaning in pain by two fellow traders, who were worried about his non-appearance.

Paramedics rushed him to hospital where it was feared he would die from his injuries. He was in a coma for a long time and has been left tetraplegic and will need life long care . He is still in intensive care following the attack on August 9 and is likely to remain on a ventilator for the rest of his life.

Doctors found that his most serious injury was a fractured dislocation of his cervical spine and ligament damage meant his neck was not stable.

It was described as "a very severe and unusual injury" caused by considerable force to his neck and was consistent with someone injured in a road traffic accident or fall.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that it was thought his face or head had possibly been propelled forcefully into the sink, toilet or bath, said Mr Parry-Jones. He had also suffered facial fractures and considerable bruising.

Mr Bashir, who had been trading at Birkenhead Market for almost 20 years, was the first Pakistani trader at the market and was extremely popular..

Murphy, who like the victim lived in The Woodlands, Birkenhead, was told by Judge Gerald Clifton that he must serve 11 years before he can apply for parole and he warned that it may be many years after that before he is freed.

Imposing an indeterminate sentence for public protection the judge told powerfully built Murphy, who has a catalogue of previous offences including violent crime, "I have not come across more serious injuries in the quarter of a century I have been a criminal judge.

"In layman's terms you virtually murdered him," he said. "You caused dreadful damage to him while crazed with drugs and alcohol. A huge degree of force was used and you left him almost unconscious on the floor and you then stole his money.

"You left him without showing a glimmer of humanity to this well loved elderly man," said Judge Clifton.

As he was led to the cells, Murphy, who pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, burglary and possessing cannabis, shouted to his weeping girlfriend in the public gallery, "I'm sorry love."

The 15-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to a six months detention and training order.

Andrew Loveridge, defending, said, "It was a burglary that went horribly wrong."

That day he had taken a cocktail of alcohol and Class A drugs and since then he has "spent a considerable amount of time pondering the enormity of what he had done".