A MAN who has been banned from a York street by a ground-breaking legal order kneed a policeman in the groin when he tried to arrest him for failing to attend court, the city's magistrates heard.

Thomas Mark Ruane, who was locked up only 12 days ago for 20 months for several offences, and given what was believed to be York's first Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order (CRASBO) by the city' crown court, yesterday stood before local magistrates charged with 21 more offences.

Though most involved vehicles, his solicitor, Colin Byrne, said that one of them was for assaulting the policeman who was trying to arrest him on the bench warrant signed when he failed to attend York Crown Court in November.

The magistrates added a month to his sentence. He is now serving 21 months in jail.

Steven Ovenden, prosecuting, said that, on February 17, a cyclist had called police alleging that Ruane had "kicked" him off his bicycle. Ruane fled into a working men's club in Blossom Street, and when a policeman followed him there, kneed him in the groin, causing him a sharp pain.

The court later heard that the officer had been trying to arrest him for failing to attend for a crown court appearance.

Ruane, 18, of Danebury Drive, Acomb, pleaded guilty to assaulting a policeman and a related public order offence. He had previously pleaded guilty or been convicted in his absence of taking a car without consent, riding in a car taken without consent, interfering with two more cars, five offences each of driving without insurance and without a valid licence, three of not having a test certificate and two of having defective tyres. All the car offences occurred last year.

Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months. He was banned for three years at the crown court.

Mr Byrne urged the magistrates to make their jail term concurrent with the crown court sentence on the grounds the offences before them were less serious than those before the judge.

The CRASBO bans Ruane from entering Etty Avenue, Tang Hall, between 8pm and 7am, unless accompanied by his mother, forces him to live in Acomb after his release from jail, and bars him from associating with two other teenagers.

Updated: 10:35 Thursday, May 06, 2004