A THUG posed as a delivery driver before attacking a woman with a hammer.

Richard Johnson sprinted from the scene of the attack shouting abuse after attacking the woman, her husband and son.

The 29-year-old’s victims were the family of Joshua Gould, from Tilbury, who in January 2019 admitted possessing thousands of indecent images of children and attempted rape of a child.

Johnson admitted aggravated burglary following the incident on August 13 last year in Tilbury and was jailed at Basildon Crown Court.

Prosecuting, Edmund Blackman said: “He attended the victim’s home address in Tilbury armed with a hammer which was hidden, and he was carrying a cardboard box and disguises himself as a delivery man wearing a surgical mask.

“When she opened the door he grabs her arm, hits her two to three time with a hammer and she screamed, and the blows forced her to fall down. Her adult son rushed to her aid.

“He had the hammer raised as if to hit her in the head area. Her son came in and they fell to the floor.

“Her husband tried to pin the defendant down but he got up and ran off shouting ‘your brother’s a nonce’.

Mr Blackman said Joshua Gould’s convictions for child sex offences was a motivator in the attack.

The woman suffered bruising which went up from her arm to her neck.

Johnson, of Gainsborough Avenue, Tilbury, fled in a car driven by an accomplice and was arrested on August 20.

Mitigating, Simon Sandford said that he had built up a drug debt and said he was told if he carried out the attack his debt would be paid.

Johnson was jailed for ten years.