A burglar who murdered a disabled pensioner while on licence for a string of street robberies has been ordered to serve at least 22 years behind bars.
Worcester Crown Court heard that Cory Christopher Youlden had been released from prison just three months before he throttled 83-year-old Paul Cox at his home in Rednal, north Worcestershire.
Passing a mandatory life term on the 23-year-old, Judge Robert Juckes QC described the murder as a savage attack on an elderly victim.
Youlden, who has 24 previous convictions and was first given a custodial sentence aged just 14, pleaded guilty to murder earlier this month, having also admitted burglary and theft.
Opening the facts of the case against Youlden, prosecutor Alex Warren said Mr Cox died from pressure to the neck after being put in a headlock.
The victim, a retired engineer who had worked at Cadbury's plant in Bournville, Birmingham, was found dead at his house in Waseley Road, Rednal, on June 3 last year.
Mr Warren told the court that Youlden's fingerprints were then found on a door and broken glass at the semi-detached property, while marks matching his footwear were found upstairs.
After killing Mr Cox, who was in the habit of sleeping downstairs following two previous burglaries, Youlden took coins and car keys from the pensioner's pockets before driving off in his Ford Focus.
Youlden was arrested two days later, Mr Warren said, after travelling to Bristol by train.
It also emerged during today's hearing that Youlden had been freed on licence in late February last year, having served half of a 42-month sentence imposed in January 2010 for three separate street robberies.
The father-of-one, formerly of Hagley Road, Birmingham, was identified as a suspect after a member of his girlfriend's family contacted police.
Mr Warren told the court that the killer had argued with his girlfriend in the hours before smashing a front window pane to climb into Mr Cox's home in the early hours.
The lawyer said: "Mr Cox was in the back living room in the arm chair just behind the door.
"The defendant's fingerprints were found on glass on the in the front room and also on the door to that room.
"At some point while in the premises, the defendant entered the back sitting room, where Mr Cox slept at night and where Mr Cox was killed."