A THUG from Oldbury has been found guilty of leaving a pensioner in a critical condition as he stole the old man’s car.

Callous Andrew Jones, aged 34, lay in wait as the 78-year-old moved his car into a gated drive on Chapel Street, West Bromwich, in May this year.

He jumped into the car as the victim opened the gate and drove off - the plucky pensioner tried to stop the thief but he was hit and dragged by the car leaving him in a critical condition with serious head injuries.

Jones used the car as a getaway vehicle at a burglary on Groveland Road, Tipton, just hours later.

CCTV footage released by police shows Jones walking along Chapel Street minutes before the carjacking and then images of the stolen Peugeot being driven into a car park on Kendrick House.

Further footage of Jones running into a block of flats with a stolen TV helped convince the jury that he was responsible for the carjacking and burglary.

He stored the TV - that he claimed was a mirror - at his ex-partners flat in Kendrick House saying "ask no questions and I will tell no lies".

The court heard how his ex-partner - concerned about the severity of his crime - mentioned to friends that Jones had stolen the car, was using it for one job and then selling it.

Jones, of Dingle Street, Oldbury, was found guilty of robbery, assault, burglary and witness intimidation at Wolverhampton Crown Court today (Wednesday) and will be sentenced in December.

His ex-partner Stacey Johnson, 26, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods at an earlier hearing and received a 12 month community order and ordered to pay costs of £300.

Detective Inspector Pete Rowe, from West Bromwich CID, said: "Jones had no thought for the man he left lying critically ill in the road. He was so callous in his actions that only hours after the robbery he committed a burglary, using the stolen car.

"He planned his crimes and lay in wait for the man and his wife to return home from an evening out. He then used the car in a burglary and implicated his ex-partner by storing stolen goods at her flat.

"Jones thought he was above the law, but this was one crime where we were determined to bring those responsible to justice.

"We issued several high profile appeals and officers investigating the crime painstakingly searched CCTV and followed up leads.

"Through hard work and help from the public, who were obviously outraged by this crime, we have today successfully secured a conviction. We hope that this will give some comfort to the family as their loved one continues to recover from his ordeal and injuries."