A PUNCH in a taxi queue fight landed Gary Norman Watling behind bars for the second time in four months.

In October, Judge Stephen Ashurst jailed Watling for 21 months for crashing one car, hitting a policeman with another car, and twice driving dangerously after drinking.

"The punishments available to the court are woefully inadequate," the judge told York Crown Court.

Watling, aged 23, was serving the sentence when he appeared before York Magistrates Court for punching Derek Smith in Stonebow on August 26.

Magistrates jailed him for three months to be served simultaneously with the longer sentence and ordered him to pay £200 compensation to Mr Smith.

Watling, of Sandy Lane, Stockton-on-the-Forest, York, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Ann Darwin, prosecuting, said an argument broke out in the taxi queue in Stonebow on August 26 during which Watling punched Mr Smith in the face with a clenched fist, knocking the victim out. Mr Smith lay bleeding on the ground. By the time he reached York Hospital he was conscious, but unable to remember his address. He had swelling on his head and had bitten the inside of his mouth.

A couple of weeks later, Mr Smith still felt insecure in crowded places.

A police officer who had seen the punch chased Watling and caught him near Fibbers nightclub round the corner.

For Watling, Kevin Blount said he had been for a night out with friends and all his offences were drink related.

There was a dispute between other people and a taxi driver, in which the taxi was kicked and the driver got out.

That developed into a larger-scale fight.

Watling tried to get one of his friends out of the fight and was hit from behind. So he turned round and hit Mr Smith, thinking he was responsible, bit it turned out that he wasn't.

"It was a mistake, a genuine error of judgement, rather than someone who has actively gone out seeking unprovoked violence," said the solicitor.

Because he was already in jail, magistrates could not give Watling a community sentence, Mr Blount said.