THE York grandson of a double child killer is today starting five years in jail for a "savage, unprovoked attack" that seriously injured his sister and left her male friend needing 46 stitches to his head

Karen Whitehead gave her brother Brett Vincent Lill, aged 28, a bed at her pub when he got bail for peddling drugs on the streets of York, a court heard.

But as she talked to her friend Greg Palmer at the bar, Lill smashed a heavy ashtray on Palmer's head. He then threw bottles and glasses in a prolonged attack.

Lill had been arrested after undercover detectives watched him remove amphetamine from a buried drug stash on St Nicholas' Field, Tang Hall, and sell it on Flaxman Avenue and another street.

Lill's grandmother, Margaret Wiggins, was twice convicted of murder, Croydon Crown Court heard.

Lill, then of Asquith Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty in York to three charges of supplying amphetamine, one of possessing amphetamine with intent to supply and one of possessing heroin found at his house in a drugs squad search.

Sent in custody to Croydon, he pleaded guilty to wounding Mr Palmer with intent and wounding his sister, Karen Whitehead.

Judge John Pullinger jailed Lill for five years on the woundings with 30 months concurrent on the drugs offences.

Hugh Griffiths, prosecuting, described the police operation last September and October in which detectives twice watched Lill at St Nicholas' Field and at least twice selling the drug on the streets.

He told police he had sold amphetamine at £10 a gram, but claimed he was acting as a go-between for someone else.

Given bail, he went to stay at his sister's pub, The Flying Machine in Biggin Hill, Kent.

But as she was standing at the bar with her friend Greg Palmer, Lill came across from a nearby phone.

"He went up to Mr Palmer, picked up a heavy ceramic ashtray and hit him over the head many times," said Mr Griffiths.

He again hit him with the ashtray and brushed his sister aside as she tried to intervene.

Lill then hurled bottles and glasses from behind the bar. Mr Palmer needed 46 stitches to his head and Miss Whitehead needed hospital treatment.

Robert Collins, mitigating, said "It is difficult to forward any reason, let alone any excuse, for this savage and unprovoked attack." But Lill may have thought his sister was in danger when he thought he heard them use raised voices.

The 28-year-old had had a very poor upbringing with his grandmother twice being convicted of murder and an uncle committing suicide. Lill's grandmother, Margaret Ann Wiggins, then 57, formerly of Ascot Way, Acomb, was sent to Broadmoor maximum security hospital on May 7 1974.

She had admitted the manslaughter of her five-month-old granddaughter by dropping her in the River Derwent at Malton.

In February 1958, she was found guilty of the murder of her seven-year-old son, but she was declared insane. She drowned him in the River Ouse in York.