A teenager was stabbed with a screwdriver, beaten with a golf club and kicked so hard his rib was broken when he was cornered by two of York's most notorious louts, a court heard.

The 16-year-old was subjected to a lengthy beating after he refused to get involved in the criminal activities of Jason Stewart, 16, and Gary Dunn, 17.

In January last year Stewart and Dunn were made the subject of York's first antisocial behaviour order to protect people in Crichton Avenue, Clifton.

York Crown Court heard that in the events leading up to the attack on the 16-year-old, Stewart and Dunn had given their victim a stolen bicycle with instructions to help them sell it

Instead, said Richard Gioserano, prosecuting, the boy went to the police.

A few hours later, as he slept at home, the pair returned with Gareth Gowlett, 20, who was armed with a screwdriver.

The Clifton trio subjected the boy to a lengthy ordeal during which he was attacked at home with a golf club and the screwdriver, threatened with slates and kicked as he lay on the ground in a street.

Today Gowlett is behind bars for three and a half years and Stewart is starting a ten-month detention and training order on top of three months in custody on remand.

Dunn was remanded under the Mental Health Act to a secure hospital and will be sentenced later. His barrister Paul Williams said he had a psychiatric disorder.

Judge Paul Hoffman told Gowlett he had been involved in a string of violent offences within days of his release from prison on someone who had brought in the police and had told a probation officer he was selling stolen bicycles to fund drugs.

"First of all, you stabbed him with a screwdriver, then you assaulted him in the house, then gave him a good kicking, fracturing a rib."

To Stewart he said: "It is troubling for me to see no obvious sign of remorse on your face, no remorse or concern. You have been laughing and talking with your friend Gowlett and you have an abysmal record.

He added: "You are little more than a boy on the one hand, though you are a hardened criminal in one sense. I am quite prepared to think you are not the ringleader here, Gowlett clearly was, although you were an enthusiastic follower."

Gowlett of St Philip's Grove, Clifton, pleaded guilty to affray, actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Dunn, formerly of Kingsway North, Clifton, and Stewart of Burton Green, Clifton, pleaded guilty to affray and grievous bodily harm.

Mr Gioserano said the trio burst in on their victim and another 16-year-old at 10pm. Gowlett stabbed their victim and Dunn demanded £75 for the bicycle which the first boy had given to police.

At least one of the trio punched him in the face and Gowlett hit him with a golf club. Then they marched their victim to his aunt's so he could get a bank card and Gowlett threatened to throw slates at him if the boy ran away.

When the boy did flee, he tripped and the three kicked him on the ground, fracturing a rib, before running off.

For Gowlett Robert Collins, said the violence had brought him up sharp because his record until then was mostly for car crime. He only used recreational drugs and was planning to change his ways.

For Stewart, Elyas Patel said he had played a supportive role and was showing signs of growing up.

Updated: 08:50 Friday, April 06, 2001