Pictured: Horrific injuries of elderly grave digger, 74, who was badly beaten and mugged as he set off home for 50th wedding anniversary Eric Hicks, 74, was attacked by heroin addict Jamie Evans, 32, outside cemetery where he volunteered on day of his Golden Wedding anniversary He suffered a fractured cheek bone, cuts and bruises in the brutal assault Evans stole his black Nokia mobile phone, £20 cash, a car key and a torch Drug addict was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court for robbery and assault A man who left an elderly grave digger with horrific facial injuries after mugging him has been jailed for 10 years. Eric Hicks, 74, was on his way home to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with wife, Doreen, when he was set upon by Jamie Evans. He had just completed a day of voluntary work at Atherton Cemetery in Greater Manchester when he was repeatedly punched, leaving him with a fractured cheek bone, cuts and bruises. Behind bars: Jamie Evans, 32, has been jailed for 10 years after leaving elderly gravedigger Eric Hicks with these horrific facial injuries, including a fractured cheek bone, pictured, in a brutal assault Mr Hicks, who has volunteered at the cemetery for 15 years, agreed to let pictures of his bruised and bloodied face be released by police to help them track Evans down. He was today branded a 'coward' by police as he was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court after it emerged that Evans had previously threatened to stab a disabled man in his own bedroom. The attack against Mr Hicks happened on November 30, 2011, as he left to celebrate his golden wedding anniversary. Jamie Evans, pictured, mugged and brutally beat up elderly gravedigger Eric Hicks who was on his way home to celebrate 50th wedding anniversary He noticed Evans walking towards the cemetery as he put his German Shepherd in his car and told him it was now closed. However, Evans punched Mr Hicks in the face so hard that he fell to the floor. Evans then told Mr Hicks that he had a knife and ordered him not to scream or shout. When Mr Hicks fell unconscious, Evans rifled through his pockets stealing his keys, cash, bank card and a torch. Following the attack Mr Hicks regained consciousness and staggered into the road where he flagged down a couple in a passing car. They alerted the emergency services and went to bring Mrs Hicks to be with her husband. He was taken to be hospital where he was treated for a fractured cheek bone, a serious cut to his lip and several other bruises to his ribs, body and neck and has suffered permanent sensory injuries as a result of the attack. Evans was linked to the scene by DNA which was discovered on the torch that he had robbed off Mr Hicks. Following the case detective sergeant Nigel Rigby said: 'These incidents were vicious, unprovoked and cowardly and the level of violence used, particularly in the robbery, to take a few items of little financial value was wholly unnecessary. The community was obviously appalled by the violent robbery. Evans is a violent man who targeted vulnerable people and thankfully he has now been put behind bars. I hope this sentence brings some comfort to his victims, the victim's family and the community.' Brutal beating: Jamie Evans was only caught after his victim Eric Hicks, 74, who has been left with permanent sensory damage, agreed for these pictures of his injuries to be released in a police appeal for information At the time of the attack Mr Hicks' daughter Sue Metcalfe, 47, said: 'My father wouldn't hurt a fly. This has sickened me and our whole family. Dad told me he thought the man was going to kill him. I am absolutely disgusted that some loser, some scum, can inflict such injuries on a man of 72 years. 'The fact that he had been tending his sister's grave, and it was his and my mum's golden wedding anniversary, just makes it even more sickening.' She added that, despite the attack, Mr Hicks plans to continue his voluntary work at the cemetery. At the moment, he says he wants to go back to work, but only in daylight. We would rather he stopped altogether, but it is something that keeps him busy, and lets him get the dog out, too. It was unfortunate that he had put the dog away in the car, because it would have protected him. He said it was breaking his heart hearing it barking and howling to get out as he was being attacked. I hope the man who did this feels miserable for what he has done. The most horrible thing was having to tell his teenage grand-daughters about what happened. Jamie Evans was jailed for ten years at Liverpool Crown Court, pictured, after pleading guilty to robbery and assault