TWO couples accused of violent disorder outside a pub at closing time, have been formally acquitted on all charges.

Danny Michael Bartlett, 25, was also acquitted of wounding Jeffrey Briggs, 27, by nearly biting off his nose, on the grounds that he acted in self-defence.

A jury at York Crown Court heard that Mr Bartlett, his cousin, Nicki Teale, 26, a soldier now living in Cyprus, and their girlfriends, became involved in a brawl with Mr Briggs, his friend, Adam Fairclough, and others in the Half Moon pub at Strensall, York, on February 22, last year.

Until the previous day Mr Fairclough had lived in Mr Bartlett's flat in Strensall, but Mr Bartlett had asked him to leave for either taking cocaine or being blind drunk. When the two groups met in the Half Moon, an incident with a lighter sparked violence with the women Adele Teale, 23, and Carron Green, 21, of Wolsley Street, York, taking leading roles.

The jury heard that when pub staff expelled Mr Briggs' group, Miss Green went after them and violence began again in the street.

Mr Briggs, of Rosemary Place, Walmgate, claimed that Mr Bartlett bit his nose as he lay on the ground trying to get up. He also told the jury he had had four lines of cocaine and ten pints of lager that evening.

Mr Bartlett told the jury that Mr Briggs was on top of him, butting his nose, so he bit Mr Briggs's nose in self-defence.

A charge that Mr Briggs caused actual bodily harm to Mr Bartlett was dropped at an early stage. Mr Bartlett, Mr Teale, Mrs Teale and Miss Green had all faced trial at York Crown Court, but the prosecution dropped violent disorder charges against all four on grounds of insufficient evidence after members of Mr Briggs's group had gone into the witness box.

The jury unanimously acquitted Mr Bartlett on the wounding charge.

Updated: 15:55 Thursday, May 15, 2003