THE killer of York father-of-four Michael Williams is back behind bars - only weeks after being released from prison.

Steven Stone was sent back to jail after breaching the terms of his licence, the North Yorkshire Probation Service confirmed today.

A service spokeswoman would not reveal the nature of the breach, but said it did not involve Stone trying to break a ban on him returning to his home city.

Mr Williams' family today said they were pleased he was back inside, although they believed he should never have been released in the first place.

Stone was given a three-year sentence in 1996 for the manslaughter of 33-year-old Mr Williams in a street attack in Chapelfields early that year, but was released on licence to a probation hostel in West Yorkshire last November after serving only part of the sentence.

His victim's family had fought long and hard for him to be banned from York, saying they did not want to bump into him in the street.

They said in November Stone had been told he would not be able to return to York for the rest of his licence, until March 2009.

Mr Williams' brother, Paul, said today: "I said this would happen from day one.

"How much telling does the judicial system want?

"He should never have been released in the first place.

"He should now serve the rest of the sentence in prison after this has happened. He should have been banged up for longer first time round."

The probation service spokeswoman said she could not say whether Stone would now serve the rest of his sentence inside, saying this would not be a matter for the service.

She said he could become eligible to apply for parole, but this would be a matter for the Parole Board and she could not say when this might be.

She said the board would continue to keep the victim's family informed as to developments. When Stone was jailed in August 2006, the court heard how he has struck Mr Williams with a single punch "right on the button" during an argument, causing him to fall back and strike his head on the pavement.

The judge said he found it sickening that, as Mr Williams lay unconscious on the ground, Stone laughed, and when Mr Williams' partner Tara Gondzik screamed at him that he had killed her husband, he laughed at her as well.

The court heard Stone had a previous conviction for violence.