Burglar Mark Porter has been cleared of punching a frail 75-year-old woman who caught him stealing a video in her north Oxford home.

A jury at Oxford Crown Court yesterday found Porter, 21, not guilty of common assault on Rabab Abbas in the bedroom of a house in Summerfield Road, Summertown, in March.

But the 21-year-old heroin addict could still go to prison after pleading guilty to burgling the house, as well as admitting another previous burglary in Kidlington and two charges of perverting the course of justice.

Mrs Abbas, who does not speak any English, told the court through an interpreter that she disturbed Porter while he was stuffing a video into a pillow case.

She said she shouted at him and he hit her. She then slapped him on the face and he punched her in the stomach, causing her to fall to the floor, before fleeing, the court heard.

But Porter claimed the woman "clouted him around the ear" as he tried to escape and he did not retaliate.

He will be sentenced for the burglary next month and was remanded in custody.

His defence counsel, David Bright, told Judge Anthony King he had already warned Porter that he could be given a prison sentence for the burglaries at next month's hearing.

Mr Bright added: "The heroin is the cause of his real criminality and it needs to be addressed."

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