Paul Steadman - who attacked a grandmother while out of prison on day release - has been sent back to prison on a life sentence today . A violent thug who robbed a grandmother of her last days with her dying husband when he attacked her while on day release has been jailed for life. Paul Steadman, 45, left pensioner Theresa Cain lying in a pool of her own blood after beating and strangling her when she refused to give him money for drugs. Mrs Cain, 78, spent more than a month in hospital after the horrific attack, meaning she could not be at the bedside of her husband of 55 years, John, in the last weeks before he died. Steadman was jailed for the assault today at Preston Crown Court, which heard Mrs Cain has since moved to a care home where she struggles with memory loss and relies on  a stick to get around. The court heard that Steadman had 38 previous convictions for 96 offences, which include burglaries, thefts, assaults and drugs offences when he was released from prison. In victim impact statements read out to the court, Mrs Cain's children described how before the attack, their mother was a full-time carer for her late husband John, and took pride in cooking, cleaning and managing the household finances. But afterwards she told them she didn't feel safe any more, and was no longer 'chatty or social' or able to remember visits to her residential home by friends or family, leaving her feeling isolated and alone. The court heard that on the day of the attack, on  May 4 last year, Mrs Cain, from Preston, Lancashire, had been due to visit her husband in hospital. Prosecutor Miss Worsley told the court that Mrs Cain's family became concerned when she didn't answer the phone after they tried to contact her to give her an update on her husband. Miss Worsley told the court: 'When paramedics attended, they said her injuries weren't consistent with a fall. The curtains had been drawn and there was blood splattered throughout and a penknife was found on the floor. 'There was bruising to the mouth, neck, ear and back of the head. The bruising to the right side of the neck was indicative to attempts of strangulation.' Steadman had been serving an indeterminate sentence in relation to another burglary at a pensioner's home, when he was let out of Kirkham Prison, Lancashire, on day release and did not return. Theresa Cain's family say the 78-year-old (right) has not been the same since she was hospitalised in the  attack, meaning she was unable to be at the bedside of her husband of 55 years, John, (left) in his final days . In a victim impact statement, Mrs Cain's daughter, Margaret, said: 'Before the attack, my mother was a fit and competent 78-year-old and a full-time carer to my father. 'The only help she received was when a carer came to transfer my father from his bed to his chair. 'After the attack she spent four weeks in hospital, during which my father also died. During the 55 years they were married they were inseparable. 'They should have been able to spend those last weeks together. I'm never going to be able to forget these tragic events.' Describing to the court how the attack had affected his family, Mrs Cain's son Peter, 42, said: 'It's so tragic. Mum's life has changed forever. It's resulted in a reduction in her standard of living. She thinks no one cares.' Mrs Cain's son added: 'It left me very angry and bitter that we've been let down. Beforehand, my mum was an independent, mobile lady. 'She looked after all my dad's medication, she was a frequent person in the bank, she would get the bus to town, visit her friends, go for a coffee. 'She rarely does that now. She's got memory loss issues, she doesn't remember visitors she's had, she doesn't remember taking her medication. It's like she's got dementia overnight.' Steadman was sentenced for the attack today as well as for other offences committed between May 3 and May 5, while he was absconding from prison. He had previously admitted burglary, aggravated burglary, grievous bodily harm, assault by beating, two counts of robbery and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Jailing Steadman to life imprisonment with a minimum term of ten years before he is eligible for parole, Judge Stuart Baker said: 'There's no doubt, none at all, that you are a dangerous offender and a very dangerous offender at that. 'You were sentenced to a indeterminate sentence for the public's protection in 2009. Nothing I have read about you...leads me to conclude that you are any less dangerous now than you were then.' Steadman was let out of Kirkham Prison, Lancashire, on day release but failed to return before the attack . The judge added: 'This involves targeting an elderly and therefore vulnerable lady. It involved breaking into her home, beating her to the end, cutting her face, gripping her throat and then callously leaving her to her fate on the floor which to all you knew could have been leave her to die. 'You have robbed this lady not only of her belongings but of her independence, her unassisted mobility, her short term memory, her ability to manage her affairs, her ability to enjoy life and cruellest of all, her ability to be with and care for her husband in his last days. 'You have clearly failed to respond to the many previous sentences that have been imposed, in the fact that you committed these offences either on the day or the day after you were released on licence while you were clearly and inappropriately trusted by whoever made the decision that you could be released from Kirkham Open Prison for a day. Mrs Cain's son, Peter, said the attack has robbed his mother of her confidence and said 'this is not how 55 years of marriage should end' 'It is essential for me to give the public as much protection from you that I can. The overwhelming probability is that you will never be released from prison.' Speaking outside court, Mrs Cain's children, Peter, Margaret and John, said: 'No sentence can compensate for the pain, loss and permanent injury to our family brought about by Paul Steadman, a violent career criminal that preys on the vulnerable in society whom had absconded from prison. 'We of course welcome the life sentence handed out today. The warning signs were evident when he was last sentenced in 2009 to an indeterminate period in prison when the then, Judge Bartfield, said that he should never be released until he was no longer a danger to the elderly. 'Paul Steadman has however duped some fool in the prison and parole service and, after serving his minimum sentence, was granted day release with devastating consequences. 'We now look forward to meeting the Governor of HMP Kirkham for the prison and parole service to answer for their failings.' A Ministry of Justice spokesman said prisoners could only be transferred to open conditions once they had passed a thorough risk assessment and been deemed suitable. The spokesman said a review of release on temporary licence has ensured that now any prisoner who during their sentence has absconded, failed to return from a period of temporary release or committed a crime while on it, will not be able to return to an open prison or be granted temporary release again, in the absence of exceptional circumstances justifying it. Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said: 'We have made major changes to tighten the system and these have contributed to a 40 per cent fall in temporary release failures in the past 12 months. 'In future when prisoners are let out on temporary licence they will be tagged, more strictly risk assessed and tested in the community under strict conditions before being released.' When asked if any investigation would be held in the Steadman case, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We do not comment on individual cases.'
Paul Steadman failed to return to prison after being let out on day release .
He attacked pensioner Theresa Cain in her home in Preston, Lancashire .
Mrs Cain was hospitalised for more than a month after the savage attack .
Her long recovery meant she was unable to be beside her dying husband .
Steadman - who had more than 90 previous convictions - is jailed today .
Victim's family hit out at the prison service 'fool' who released him .
Paul Steadman - who attacked a grandmother while out of prison on day release - has been sent back to prison on a life sentence today . A violent thug who robbed a grandmother of her last days with her dying husband when he attacked her while on day release has been jailed for life. Paul Steadman, 45, left pensioner Theresa Cain lying in a pool of her own blood after beating and strangling her when she refused to give him money for drugs. Mrs Cain, 78, spent more than a month in hospital after the horrific attack, meaning she could not be at the bedside of her husband of 55 years, John, in the last weeks before he died. Steadman was jailed for the assault today at Preston Crown Court, which heard Mrs Cain has since moved to a care home where she struggles with memory loss and relies on  a stick to get around. The court heard that Steadman had 38 previous convictions for 96 offences, which include burglaries, thefts, assaults and drugs offences when he was released from prison. In victim impact statements read out to the court, Mrs Cain's children described how before the attack, their mother was a full-time carer for her late husband John, and took pride in cooking, cleaning and managing the household finances. But afterwards she told them she didn't feel safe any more, and was no longer 'chatty or social' or able to remember visits to her residential home by friends or family, leaving her feeling isolated and alone. The court heard that on the day of the attack, on  May 4 last year, Mrs Cain, from Preston, Lancashire, had been due to visit her husband in hospital. Prosecutor Miss Worsley told the court that Mrs Cain's family became concerned when she didn't answer the phone after they tried to contact her to give her an update on her husband. Miss Worsley told the court: 'When paramedics attended, they said her injuries weren't consistent with a fall. The curtains had been drawn and there was blood splattered throughout and a penknife was found on the floor. 'There was bruising to the mouth, neck, ear and back of the head. The bruising to the right side of the neck was indicative to attempts of strangulation.' Steadman had been serving an indeterminate sentence in relation to another burglary at a pensioner's home, when he was let out of Kirkham Prison, Lancashire, on day release and did not return. Theresa Cain's family say the 78-year-old (right) has not been the same since she was hospitalised in the  attack, meaning she was unable to be at the bedside of her husband of 55 years, John, (left) in his final days . In a victim impact statement, Mrs Cain's daughter, Margaret, said: 'Before the attack, my mother was a fit and competent 78-year-old and a full-time carer to my father. 'The only help she received was when a carer came to transfer my father from his bed to his chair. 'After the attack she spent four weeks in hospital, during which my father also died. During the 55 years they were married they were inseparable. 'They should have been able to spend those last weeks together. I'm never going to be able to forget these tragic events.' Describing to the court how the attack had affected his family, Mrs Cain's son Peter, 42, said: 'It's so tragic. Mum's life has changed forever. It's resulted in a reduction in her standard of living. She thinks no one cares.' Mrs Cain's son added: 'It left me very angry and bitter that we've been let down. Beforehand, my mum was an independent, mobile lady. 'She looked after all my dad's medication, she was a frequent person in the bank, she would get the bus to town, visit her friends, go for a coffee. 'She rarely does that now. She's got memory loss issues, she doesn't remember visitors she's had, she doesn't remember taking her medication. It's like she's got dementia overnight.' Steadman was sentenced for the attack today as well as for other offences committed between May 3 and May 5, while he was absconding from prison. He had previously admitted burglary, aggravated burglary, grievous bodily harm, assault by beating, two counts of robbery and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Jailing Steadman to life imprisonment with a minimum term of ten years before he is eligible for parole, Judge Stuart Baker said: 'There's no doubt, none at all, that you are a dangerous offender and a very dangerous offender at that. 'You were sentenced to a indeterminate sentence for the public's protection in 2009. Nothing I have read about you...leads me to conclude that you are any less dangerous now than you were then.' Steadman was let out of Kirkham Prison, Lancashire, on day release but failed to return before the attack . The judge added: 'This involves targeting an elderly and therefore vulnerable lady. It involved breaking into her home, beating her to the end, cutting her face, gripping her throat and then callously leaving her to her fate on the floor which to all you knew could have been leave her to die. 'You have robbed this lady not only of her belongings but of her independence, her unassisted mobility, her short term memory, her ability to manage her affairs, her ability to enjoy life and cruellest of all, her ability to be with and care for her husband in his last days. 'You have clearly failed to respond to the many previous sentences that have been imposed, in the fact that you committed these offences either on the day or the day after you were released on licence while you were clearly and inappropriately trusted by whoever made the decision that you could be released from Kirkham Open Prison for a day. Mrs Cain's son, Peter, said the attack has robbed his mother of her confidence and said 'this is not how 55 years of marriage should end' 'It is essential for me to give the public as much protection from you that I can. The overwhelming probability is that you will never be released from prison.' Speaking outside court, Mrs Cain's children, Peter, Margaret and John, said: 'No sentence can compensate for the pain, loss and permanent injury to our family brought about by Paul Steadman, a violent career criminal that preys on the vulnerable in society whom had absconded from prison. 'We of course welcome the life sentence handed out today. The warning signs were evident when he was last sentenced in 2009 to an indeterminate period in prison when the then, Judge Bartfield, said that he should never be released until he was no longer a danger to the elderly. 'Paul Steadman has however duped some fool in the prison and parole service and, after serving his minimum sentence, was granted day release with devastating consequences. 'We now look forward to meeting the Governor of HMP Kirkham for the prison and parole service to answer for their failings.' A Ministry of Justice spokesman said prisoners could only be transferred to open conditions once they had passed a thorough risk assessment and been deemed suitable. The spokesman said a review of release on temporary licence has ensured that now any prisoner who during their sentence has absconded, failed to return from a period of temporary release or committed a crime while on it, will not be able to return to an open prison or be granted temporary release again, in the absence of exceptional circumstances justifying it. Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said: 'We have made major changes to tighten the system and these have contributed to a 40 per cent fall in temporary release failures in the past 12 months. 'In future when prisoners are let out on temporary licence they will be tagged, more strictly risk assessed and tested in the community under strict conditions before being released.' When asked if any investigation would be held in the Steadman case, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We do not comment on individual cases.'
Paul Steadman - who attacked a grandmother while with her dying husband when he attacked her while Steadman, 45, left pensioner Theresa Cain lying for drugs. Mrs Cain, 78, spent more than a month in hospital after the horrific attack, meaning Steadman was jailed for the assault today at previous convictions for 96 offences, which she was hospitalised in the  attack, meaning she was unable to be at the bedside of her husband of Lancashire, on day release but failed to return some fool in the prison and parole service and, 'In future when prisoners are let out on