A MAN who battered his elderly neighbour with a hammer was told by a judge yesterday that he will probably spend the rest of his life in a secure psychiatric unit.

Kenneth Brannan returned to court to be sentenced for the attack on 79-year-old neighbour Connie Regan in which he forced his way into her home saying he had come to kill her.

The 58-year-old produced a hammer hidden up his sleeve and hit her on the head about five times. She managed to push him outside and telephone her daughter, who alerted the police.

Brannan also phoned police to say he had killed the pensioner, said Sarah Mallett, prosecuting.

He told them he had not left his home for four days because voices in his head had been telling him to kill Mrs Regan.

Miss Mallett said: "He fully admitted responsibility for the assault, but claimed he acted as he did because of the voices in his head which he said had been telling him to attack her."

Mrs Regan had known Brannan for 11 years in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, and would said hello to him in the street and in The Huntsman pub.

Psychiatrist Richard Pyett, who assessed him at the Hutton Centre of St Luke's Hospital, in Middlesbrough, said Brannan had since attacked staff and other patients, and posed a significant risk of harm to the public.

Judge Peter Fox QC made a hospital order on Brannan of Doxford Walk, Hemlington, with no restriction on the length of time he could be detained.

Brannan pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on March 23. He was initially sentenced in August, but because of an administrative error he was brought back to court today and received a similar sentence to the first one.