A VULNERABLE widower was battered to death and his house set on fire after being targeted by robbers, a court has heard.

Frail David Gard was rescued from his burning home by firefighters, but he had suffered a severe head injury and could not be resuscitated.

The 64-year-old, who had mental and physical problems, had 49 other injuries to his body and many of the bones in his face were broken. John Hodson is accused of breaking into Mr Gard’s home in Adelaide Road, Kensington, and inflicting the fatal injuries.

The well-built 26-year-old, of Crocus Street, Everton, denies murder.

But Stuart Driver, QC, prosecuting, told a Liverpool Crown Court jury that scientific evidence proved Hodson was involved in 5ft 1in Mr Gard’s death.

When Hodson was arrested, two days after the attack, he was wearing three pairs of trousers – two of which were covered in Mr Gard’s blood.

An expert ruled the blood splattering was consistent with Hodson standing on his right leg and stamping or kicking Mr Gard as he lay on the floor.

Blood was also found on his jumper, while a shard of glass was in his jacket.

Mr Driver told how at about 3.45am on March 13, 2008, Mr Gard’s next door neighbour heard the sounds of a scuffle and the beeping of his smoke detector.

When firefighters arrived, the smoke was so thick they could not see inside the house.

They eventually found eight-stone Mr Gard, who suffered from deafness, in his bedroom.

Hodson admits being at Mr Gard’s home on the night, but insists he only acted as a look-out.