A BRAVE community who stood up to an abusive yob have won justice and an anti-social behaviour order to keep him under control.

Courageous witnesses who were prepared to speak out against the 25-year-old man were praised by police after a judge slapped on the court order banning him from being violent in Selby.

John Austin Daley, of Tennant Street, Selby, was due to face a two-day trial at York County Court before he agreed to accept a three-year anti-social behaviour order (ASBO). That forbids him from conduct which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to residents throughout Selby district. The order stipulates that this includes carrying a pickaxe handle.

He is also banned from intimidating people, engaging in or threatening violence, using abusive, insulting words and behaviour.

Daley has also been warned off insulting, intimidating or harassing 18 witnesses who live in the Flaxley Road, Charles Street and Tennant Street areas who were involved in the ASBO proceedings. If he breaks the order, he could face up to five years in prison, a fine or both.

Selby District Council applied for the ASBO following a request from Housing Services.

Andrew Wilson, representing Daley, said he made "certain limited admissions to allegations" against him and invited the judge to issue a three-year ASBO.

No further mitigation was given.

Deputy Circuit Judge Taylor congratulated parties on reaching "a very sensible compromise".

He said: "It is always better to have contentious, sometimes very sensitive, issues resolved by

agreement."

Police said afterwards that all witnesses except one had agreed to attend court and thanked them "for rallying together as a community and taking a stance against Mr Daley".

Sergeant John Manuel, community safety team sergeant for Selby district, said: "The strength of the case is indicative of the fact we were able to come to this rapid agreement.

"The people concerned were prepared to come to court, stand up and be counted.

"That's important. This was victim-driven."

He said the ASBO related to incidents over a period of time, with Daley's behaviour causing problems for neighbours and near neighbours.

"In general, the sort of behaviour was threats and intimidation, and some criminal damage."

He said ASBOs were still rare in Selby, with recent ones imposed for two years and covering Selby town.

"I think that's our seventh," he said.

"We do not do them lightly. We like to try to do as many things as we can to avoid going to court but, unfortunately, in this case it was necessary.

"It's really for the victims who have been living round this individual.

"It's fair to say their lives have been made hell by him.

"The fact that so many were willing to come to court shows that."

Updated: 10:16 Tuesday, November 22, 2005