A CONVICTED killer who bit off part of a prisoner's ear inside a Worcestershire jail has been cleared of wounding.

Andrew Aston was given 26 life sentences in 2002 for two murders and 24 offences of robbery and assault. But eight years after being locked up in Long Lartin maximum security prison, near Evesham, he fought fellow inmate Michael Dillon after accusing him of pushing into a dinner queue.

He bit off part of the victim's left ear inside a shower block on a vulnerable prisoners' wing where murderers and sex offenders are given special protection.

A jury at Worcester Crown Court yesterday cleared 38-year-old Aston, formerly of Stechford, Birmingham, of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They also found him not guilty of unlawful wounding.

The jury was not told of Aston's or Dillon's previous convictions and were warned by Judge Patrick Thomas QC not to do research on the internet.

Flanked by four prison officers and wearing handcuffs in the dock, Aston smiled at the jury of nine women and three men as the unanimous verdict was reached after only 40 minutes.

Aston got into a fight with Dillon in a jail's shower area on October 20 last year. He alleged that he was punched in the face first and bit the ear in panic because he believed Dillon, a former soldier in the French Foreign Legion, was trying to gouge his eye out with a thumb.

He insisted he told police a different story two months after the incident while his mental health was affected by being isolated from other prisoners 24 hours a day.

Defence counsel Tom Kenning described Dillon's behaviour in the witness box as "strange and out of control" and alleged his evidence was "a pack of lies" about Aston, who had only acted in self defence.

Nine years ago, Birmingham Crown Court heard how heroin and crack cocaine addict Aston killed two war veterans and targeted other elderly victims by tricking his way into their homes, often pretending to be on police business.

He demanded they hand over cash to feed his drug habit, but his total haul was only £2,000.

His 90-day reign of terror in the West Midlands began in January 2001.

Two months later he beat George Dale, 87, with an iron bar and broke his neck for a holdall. The grandfather died a fortnight later.

Nine days later he attacked disabled Frank Hobley, 80, breaking his hip. He died three months later.

Another victim was 64-year-old Beresford Johnson, who had had a leg amputated. He was tipped out of his wheelchair and left with head injuries.

Police arrested Aston inside the home of 92-year-old William Dorman who was being held in a headlock. By then he had attacked 24 pensioners.

Mr Justice Butterfield told Aston his victims were "at his mercy and he gave them none". The defendant's father said after the convictions that his son should have been hanged.

The number of concurrent life sentences he is serving is believed to be a record for England and Wales.