A FATHER who broke a soldier's skull outside a York nightclub attacked pubgoers in a separate incident 17 days later, the Evening Press can reveal today.

Until now, a court order has banned publication of how Karl Gaskin, 30, threw a brick through an East Yorkshire pub window, showering those inside with glass, and then took on three angry diners at once.

Yunis Vallis, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court that Gaskin exploded into violence as pubgoers were enjoying a Saturday evening out at the Downe Arms, in Snaith, on July 27.

The Evening Press has already reported how on July 10, he had put soldier Philip Hunter in hospital with a fractured skull and other injuries in a baseball bat attack outside Toffs nightclub in York.

"You seem really to have gone off the rails in the middle of last year," Judge Michael Mettyear told Gaskin.

He jailed him for a total of five years - four for the York attack, plus one year for the East Yorkshire attack.

Gaskin pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm to Stephen Johnson, criminal damage and a public order offence at Snaith and causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Hunter in York. Mr Vallis said that pubgoers went into the street after they were showered with glass and found Gaskin. His wife and two children were present and he had taken off his shirt and was gesturing for a fight.

He punched pub-goer David Atkinson in the face as he fought him and Mr Atkinson's wife and son.

When Mr Johnson, 32, tried to intervene and calm Gaskin down, the 30-year-old father head-butted him twice in the mouth.

Mr Johnson later needed ten stitches inserted into his lip.

For Gaskin, David Bradshaw said he had not gone out looking for trouble. He had himself suffered face injuries in the Snaith attack. His wife wrote to the judge, saying he had changed since being remanded in custody.

Updated: 15:07 Tuesday, March 18, 2003