A ‘violent’ man has been jailed after stealing a pizza delivery moped and using it as a getaway vehicle in a hammer attack hours later.

Billy James Francis O'Brien, 24, will be behind bars for eight years after attacking a pizza delivery driver and forcing himself inside the home of a man and attacking him a hammer.

The person made a full recovery from ‘substantial injuries’ caused when he was hit on the forehead with the hammer by O’Brien, of Carmichael Road, Croydon.

A police spokeswoman said on Sunday, April 6 this year, at about 9.50pm, O'Brien attacked a pizza delivery driver at Cromwell House in Croydon.

He stole the driver's moped and later used it at an aggravated burglary in Grassmere Road on the same day.

The spokeswoman said at about 10.15pm, a woman answered the door of the house.

A man demanded to speak to her son and pushed her to the floor before barging into the house shouting her son’s name.

The woman’s husband tried to get him to leave but he was hit by a hammer O’Brien had up his sleeve.

O'Brien fled on a moped described as a pizza delivery bike.

Police officers arrived along with the London Ambulance Service and both victims were taken to hospital.

Police searched the area and found O'Brien in Heathhurst Road, south Croydon, and a struggle took place as he attempted escape but was arrested.

O'Brien was charged on Monday, April 7 with the robbery and aggravated burglary.

He was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, October 3 to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to both charges.

The spokeswoman said O’Brien was also convicted for an earlier offence that took place in Brighton Road, Purley, on Tuesday, March 18 where he robbed a man at knifepoint and took his Audi TT car.

DC Martin Stocker, investigating officer for Croydon Borough Police said: "O'Brien is a very dangerous individual and I am pleased that he was handed a substantial custodial sentence which reflects this.

“O'Brien used an extreme form of violence by producing a hammer which could have caused the victim to receive life changing injuries. Thankfully he made a full recovery."