Joseph Charlott knocked the 77-year-old to the floor and kicked him after he tried to defend his property.
The pensioner suffered a fractured shoulder blade, fractured ribs and a fractured chest bone during the break-in in Malvern Way, Hastings.
Lewes Crown Court heard the 22-year-old was already known to police before the attack on May 12, 2023, after he spat at a police officer and had been found with a knuckleduster 24 hours earlier.
Following a three day trial that ended on October 3, Charlott was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, assaulting an emergency worker, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage.
He was found not guilty of one count of assaulting an emergency worker.
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Charlott, of Deepdene Gardens, Hastings, has been remanded in custody for sentencing on November 18.
Detective Sergeant Jake O’Reilly said: “In May 2023 Sussex Police were alerted to a violent assault in Malvern Way, Hastings, which left a 77-year-old man in hospital with serious injuries.
“The named suspect, Jospeh Charlott, was known to Sussex Police after he had spat at an officer and had been found with a knuckleduster only 24 hours earlier. Following this more serious incident, a police investigation was carried out and evidence was recovered from a variety of sources that confirmed Charlott had forced entry to the victim’s motorhome on May 12, 2023.
“When he was then confronted by its owner who phoned the police, Charlott responded with a flurry of violence that culminated in him knocking the victim to the ground and repeatedly kicking him while he was lying defenceless on the ground.
“Charlott then went on the run from May until August, and when he was finally located by officers, he jumped out of a second story window in an attempt to escape, but was eventually detained.
“This level of violence against a vulnerable member of the public protecting his property is indefensible and I’m glad to see that, on hearing the evidence, the jury has convicted the defendant.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many teams across Sussex Police who worked tirelessly to investigate, locate, arrest and charge Charlott, and I hope his sentencing in November will offer some closure for the victims and that it will reflect the destruction he has caused.”
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