A Jekyll-and-Hyde binge drinker was this afternoon jailed for five-and-a-half years for killing a father-of-three by grabbing the wheel of a bus.

Mr Justice Holland branded former fire hero James Christopher Glenton as "aggressive, violent, self-centred, arrogant and completely irresponsible" for his behaviour leading up to the fatal crash in Bootham, York, last April.

The court heard Glenton's drunken antics on the Ikon and Diva nightclub bus service had been so bad that two of his own companions as well as Egyptian-born Mohamed Eltahtawy, 49, had moved to get away from him.

In a bitter irony, Mr Eltahtawy's decision was to cost him his life when the bus crashed. Nicholas Ralph, prosecuting, said Glenton had started drinking at 7pm and arrived at the nightclub at 10pm where he had had more than ten drinks, including Bacardi, cider and Stella Artois.

Doorstaff ejected him at 1am for annoying other customers.

They said he was able to walk and not as drunk as they had seen him in the past.

With three other young York men, he got into the nightclub's 1.45am free bus service to York centre.

When the bus reached Clifton Green, Glenton made repeated demands to driver Phillip Shelley to make an unauthorised stop at Burton Stone Lane near his home, which were all refused.

When Mr Shelley drove past Bootham Crescent, Glenton said: "If you don't stop the bus, I will grab the wheel."

Seconds later, said Mr Ralph, Glenton did just that and the bus swerved to the left, into the perimeter wall of the Churchill Hotel, smashed into a lamp-post and finally stopped on a nearby railway bridge.

Despite the efforts of rescuers, Mr Eltahtawy died in the crash.

Looking at Glenton's list of drink-related previous convictions, the judge said: "It has become increasingly obvious that sooner or later your behaviour when in drink would have truly serious consequences."

He added that Glenton had been barred from nightclubs in the past.

Outside court, Det Sgt Steve Smith, of York Police, said: "Many words have been spoken about his (Glenton's) remorse and his determination to stay away from drink in the future.

"I only hope he can. Hopefully other people may consider what they are doing when in drink."

Glenton, of Rowntree Avenue, Clifton, York, pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

His barrister, Peter Collier, QC, said he was deeply remorseful and apologised to everyone on the bus and Mr Eltahtawy's family.

He had told police: "I just wanted to have a good night.

"I had no intention to hurt anyone."

Then he had added: "That young lad (Mr Eltahtawy) had gone out to have a good night and now he is dead."

Mr Collier said that Glenton wanted to conquer his drink problem and stay out of nightclubs on his release from prison.

He was not all bad, as he had helped rescue a neighbour from a burning house recently.

Updated: 14:08 Friday, September 10, 2004