A YORK thug helped to turn what should have been an evening of Christmas merrymaking at a York pub into a night of violence and destruction - only six days after he was handed a court order designed to curb his bad behaviour.

Yet David Raymond Powell was cleared of breaching the antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) imposed on him by city magistrates on December 20, because of a blunder by prosecutors over court papers.

York Crown Court was told that Powell, 20, his girlfriend Claire Elizabeth Moran, 22, and Julie Anne Gough, 41, between them hurled glasses and ashtrays, attacked the landlord and landlady, made death threats, and smashed windows and furniture on Boxing Day evening. At one stage Powell, brandishing a knife, stormed back into The Poacher in Acomb with another man, after they had been forcibly expelled.

Recorder Henry Prosser said: "It should have been a happy and pleasant evening after the Christmas holiday.

"The three of you turned that evening into something that was horrible. The landlord and his wife must have been absolutely terrified by the violence in the pub. You had clearly had too much to drink."

Wayne and Sarah Colley had only been in charge of the Front Street pub for five-and-a-half weeks before the violence, which left damage that took more than £600 to repair, said Helen Holmes, prosecuting. They and his brother, Glen, suffered minor injuries.

All three defendants admitted violent disorder. Powell, of Leesside, Dringhouses, York, also admitted carrying a knife in public.

He was jailed for nine months but, because he has been on remand since his arrest on Boxing Day, was freed almost at once. Moran, of the same address, was ordered to do 180 hours' community punishment, and Gough, of Marsden Avenue, Acomb, 120 hours.

The judge barred all three from the pub for 12 months and warned them other landlords might ban them after hearing about his order.

For Gough, Peter Johnson said the catalyst for the violence had been the actions of a man called David Parker who had taken Gough by the shoulders.

Ms Holmes had said that Mr Parker had a heated argument with Powell, during which Gough punched him in the face. Powell smashed a glass on a table, Gough threw a glass at landlord Wayne Colley and the violence erupted.

Barristers for Powell and Moran gave no mitigation after the judge revealed how he intended to sentence them.

Updated: 10:20 Tuesday, May 10, 2005