A LANDLORD broke his pub manager's eye socket shortly before the junior man was dismissed for fighting, a jury was told.

Manager Simon Mark Harris never worked again at The Junction, in Leeman Road, York, after a dispute over his drinking escalated into violence at the pub on FA Cup final day, York Crown Court heard.

He claimed that his boss, landlord Paul Andrew Turner, butted him, hit him with a glass, put him on the floor and punched him seven times in the face while he lay there.

The defence claims that Mr Harris had been drinking heavily while working at the pub and started the violence by butting Turner before scuffling with him in the bar area.

After the fight, Mr Harris threatened to "kill" Turner.

Both sides agreed that within days, Mr Harris lost his job after facing disciplinary charges of serious insubordination, breach of health and safety regulations by not ensuring a fire door was unlocked and using physical violence.

Turner, 39, of Byron Drive, Rawcliffe, York, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Harris and an alternative charge of causing grievous bodily harm without intent.

Giving evidence, Mr Harris alleged that he had worked at the pub for a year and been friends with Turner for 12 to 13 years. He lived above the pub.

On Saturday, May 13, FA Cup final day, he worked from noon until about midnight, mostly socialising with customers and seeing that all was going well.

He said he had drunk four or five pints of sweet cider during the day and disputed defence claims that the pub's tab showed he had had considerably more to drink that day. He denied he was drunk.

He claimed that, later on, Turner accused him aggressively of being drunk on the job and told him to go upstairs to his private quarters.

Feeling annoyed, he asked Turner to discuss the matter in the bar area, which was quiet. Mr Harris alleged the violence ended with other people getting Turner off him. Turner "smirked" at him and said: "That's what you get for crossing me".

Mr Harris claimed that he suffered a broken eye socket, a swollen and bruised face, a cut lip and other injuries.

He denied defence suggestions that he had gone to the police to get his own back after the disciplinary hearing.

He claimed he had no idea how his blood had got on the back of Turner's shirt.

The trial continues.