A GRANDMOTHER celebrating her 80th birthday was beaten black and blue after she returned home from her party - because her pensioner friends were ‘making too much noise’.

May King was on cloud nine after celebrating the milestone birthday with her nearest and dearest at The Kelly pub in Hebburn, South Tyneside.

However, her night was ruined when neighbour Michael Raine attacked her on her own doorstep and accused her elderly friends of making ‘too much noise’ while they quietly chatted over a cigarette in the back garden.

Mrs King, now 81, who spent three hours in A&E, where she needed x-rays and tests before being discharged, spoke of her devastation after her attacker walked free from court.

The 29-year-old thug was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of assault by beating – but he pleaded guilty to a lesser single charge of affray at Newcastle Crown Court.

Raine, who has previous convictions of assault, was allowed to walk free from court after being handed a 12-month suspended sentence and two-year restraining order.

The court heard how, after the surprise party, around 12 of Mrs King’s family and friends decided to walk her home and stopped in for an hour to say goodnight.

But as the visitors started to trickle out of the house, Raine went and confronted the elderly group at around 2.30am.

As he marched down the drive, he barged into 72-year-old Anne Ovington, who in the chaos fell and twisted her ankle so badly she couldn’t wear shoes for over a week.

Mrs King’s granddaughter and friend tried to usher Raine, who was wearing his girlfriend’s white dressing gown and flip-flops, away.

But he then attacked Mrs King, who had politely asked him to leave, causing shocking bruises to her face and arms.

Mrs King said: “My 80th birthday should have been a celebration. It turned into one of the most horrendous days of my life.

“When he hit me the first time it just threw me completely. I didn’t fall over, but my head was completely spinning.

“I couldn’t really remember anything after that, but everyone said they saw him hit me a second time.

“I can still feel the impact of it to this day. My face went completely numb.”

She added: “I can’t believe that he has basically got away with it.

“Anne was so badly injured in the fracas she could barely walk, while my friend was struck in the head. He tried to hit my granddaughter Melanie, so her boyfriend Joe stepped in to restrain him.

“Joe also suffered facial injuries, which were worse than mine in the chaos which ensued.

“I am a nervous wreck and still struggle to get over it.”