A PUBGOER has been jailed for 15 months for glassing a York landlord near closing time.

Kevin John Warwick hit out with a nearly-full pint glass as Northern Wall licensee Christopher Fall was trying to clear the pub of drinkers, said Richard Scott, prosecuting at York Crown Court.

The glass smashed into the landlord's face, injuring him and causing a deep 4cm cut to his left cheek. "It was an horrendous injury indeed," said Judge Peter Baker QC. But he accepted Warwick's account that he did not realise he had the glass in his hand until after he struck because the attacker suffered serious injuries to the tendons of his own hand which needed an operation.

Warwick, 34, of Farmlands Road, Dringhouses, pleaded guilty to wounding and was jailed for 15 months. Mr Scott said Warwick, his girlfriend and other friends had started an evening out at the Northern Wall in Fossgate, York, on Saturday, October 27, before going on to other pubs.

They returned to the pub shortly before closing time because one of Warwick's friends knew the landlord.

But Mr Fall decided he would not keep the pub open late for regular customers and asked people to leave.

He took hold of the glass Warwick's girlfriend was holding in a bid to take it from her, but she objected.

Warwick cried out: "Don't touch her" and punched the landlord with his hand, which was holding his own glass.

Friends pulled Warwick away and he left the pub bleeding heavily. Police arrested him nearby after a struggle. He told them he had seen a "tug-of-war" between his girlfriend and Mr Fall.

For Warwick, Simon Reevell said that although he had been violent in the past he was no longer someone who went looking for trouble.

He had only struck one blow and made no attempt at a second.

Updated: 11:11 Tuesday, March 05, 2002