TWO York men launched an unprovoked assault on a man after chasing him through city-centre streets.

The attackers will spend four months confined to their homes for ten hours every night after they beat up their victim in a bout of drink-fuelled violence.

Nathan John Reynolds, 24, and Marcus Robert Linfoot, 23, will also spend six months in jail if they break the law again in the next 18 months, a judge decided.

Stephanie Hancock, prosecuting, told York Crown Court that when taxi passenger Alan Naismith saw the duo kicking and punching Christian Alesksov on the ground, he leaped out of the cab to the victim’s aid and knocked out Linfoot in the rescue attempt.

Recorder Colin Burn told the attackers they had shown “appalling behaviour” in Colliergate in the early evening of September 12.

He said he hoped the curfew “will keep you out of trouble during the spring and summer when you would otherwise be tempted to get into trouble.”

Reynolds, of Nunthorpe Crescent, South Bank, told police he had drunk nearly 20 pints of lager and taken diazepam prescribed to him by a doctor in the hours leading up to the violence.

Linfoot, of Kingsland Terrace, off Leeman Road, told officers he had drunk four or five pints. Both pleaded guilty to affray. In addition to the nightly curfew and six-month suspended sentence, they must each pay £250 compensation to Mr Alesksov and £250 prosecution costs. Miss Hancock said the violence began when Linfoot brushed shoulders with Mr Alesksov as they passed each other in the street.

Witnesses described the attackers as “bouncing off” Mr Alesksov’s head. Mr Alesksov suffered minor injuries. Mark Partridge, representing Reynolds, said Reynolds had mental-health problems. Since the incident he had reduced his drinking, had a good character and was hard-working.

Andrew Semple, representing Linfoot, said his client was a hard-working family man who had got “carried away” and had behaved out of character.

The judge said: “With depressing frequency people of good, or fairly good, character who are in work and who are highly thought-of when they are sober, get drunk, come into town and become worked up and aggressive.”