Stephen Laidlaw from New Earswick avoids prison

Stephen Garnet Laidlaw, 19, cut Thomas Reynard behind the ear with a glass in the nightclub incident, said prosecutor Rosemary Ainslie.

Laidlaw, of Hawthorn Terrace, New Earswick, pleaded guilty on the day of his trial to wounding Mr Reynard.

"My public duty is to protect the public against outbursts like this," said Judge Peter Benson.

"This was a very nasty offence.

"I must mark it with a custodial sentence.

"In light of your personal factors, I am going to suspend it."

The judge did not go into details of why he was suspending the 51-week sentence for 18 months, though earlier he had referred to "very compelling" circumstances involving Laidlaw.

He set conditions that Laidlaw must do 150 hours' unpaid work and 18 months' supervision in order to avoid serving the sentence.

He must also pay Mr Reynard £500 compensation.

Mrs Ainslie said: "There were historical difficulties between the two (men) centring round a dispute over a girl."

Around midnight on June 13, both men were in the Gallery nightclub on Clifford Street. They had argued the previous week and matters came to a head in the nightclub.

Laidlaw claimed afterwards he was threatened by people he believed were friends of Mr Reynard and when Mr Reynard approached him in the nightclub, he believed Mr Reynard was about to hit him.

"He struck out at the complainant (Mr Reynard) whilst holding a glass in his hand," said Mrs Ainslie.

The glass made a two inch cut by Mr Reynard's ear that needed stitches and he also had an injury to the neck. Staff detained Laidlaw and called police.

Mrs Ainslie denied that Mr Reynard had behaved improperly that night.

For Laidlaw, David Bradshaw said his client had two jobs, including one at Pizza Hut. He was a full-time apprentice and also had a Saturday job.

Mr Bradshaw did not give any mitigation after the judge said he would suspend the prison sentence. Laidlaw had no previous convictions.