A chef convicted of the horrific attack that left a homeless man paralysed from the neck down is a convicted rapist wanted for manslaughter in France.

Bruce Hill, 46, was on bail for allegedly killing his girlfriend by pouring boiling water over her when he carried out the attack on his room-mate Norman McErlean in the Oxford Night Shelter last June.

Hill, of no fixed address, denied causing grievous bodily harm but was jailed for four years at Oxford Crown Court yesterday for slamming Mr McErlean's bed against the wall as he lay on it, crushing the bones and ligaments in his spinal cord.

His neck was broken instantly and he was left upside down for several minutes on the bed, which was hinged to the wall, while Hill joked about making him into a "sandwich". Hill eventually returned Mr McErlean to his original position and went to sleep.

A row had flared because Hill was drinking alcohol with fellow roommates Wayne Nicholls and Paul Green, and making a noise in the dormitory the men had shared for a month, while Mr McErlean was trying to sleep.

Mr McErlean, 56, is now tetraplegic with no sensation from the neck down and dependent on 24-hour care for the rest of his life. Originally from Ireland, he lived at the Night Shelter for many years and is well known and liked in the homeless community.

After reaching a unani- mous verdict that Hill was guilty of grievous bodily harm, the jury was told about Hill's violent past.

Although he has no convictions in this country, he was jailed in Spain for 12 years in 1990 for rape, and deported after serving five years. He is waiting to be tried for the manslaughter of his girlfriend Lesley Robinson in Paris in April 2000. He is alleged to have poured boiling water over her, causing her death in hospital a month later.

It is not yet known if Hill will be extradited to face trial in France after serving his sentence for the attack on Mr McErlean. Hill denies attacking Mr McErlean, maintains he is innocent of the rape in Spain and blames the hospital for the death of his girlfriend.

Zubair Ahmad defending, described another side to Hill's character, saying he was a talented artist who spoke three languages.

He said Hill worked for voluntary organisations abroad such as the Red Cross and helped set up orphanages in poor countries.

Hill was working as a chef and living with his father in Maidstone, Kent, until the trial. He has a 27-year-old daughter from his first marriage and became a grandfather last year.

Hill has refused treatment for throat cancer and suffers from severe asthma and epilepsy brought on after he was run over by a car last year. He spent 15 days in a coma. He came to Oxford in May last year and was staying at the Night Shelter while he looked for work.

Judge Anthony King told him he had destroyed his victim's life but accepted that Hill did not realise his actions would have had the effect that they did.

He said: "What you did was an unnecessary and unpleasant piece of bullying with tragic consequences."

Hill will serve at least half of his four-year jail sentence.

After sentencing, Det Sgt Kevin Robinson, the officer in the case, said: "This case highlights the dangers of the violent environment the people in the Night Shelter sometimes find themselves in. It's a testimony to the staff that things are controlled so well.

"Norman McErlean was well known within the community and I'm delighted that we were able to give him the service he deserved and that the judge imposed a substantial jail sentence."