A WOULD-BE drug pusher walked free from court after he sprayed liquid into the eyes of a bus passenger, York Crown Court heard.

People queuing at a bus stop told Stephen Kenny Ashes, 20, to go away when he offered to sell them an illegal substance, said Khadim Al'hassan, prosecuting.

He responded by spraying one of the queue with a liquid that caused his eyes and his throat to sting.

It was the second time that evening Ashes had attacked a man's face with a harmful liquid.

Earlier, at 7.50pm on Saturday October 3, he had become "extremely mental" and sprayed the face of a man trying to find who had been throwing stones in the neighbourhood, said Mr Al'hassan. That man also suffered pain.

Ashes, of Seventh Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing actual bodily harm.

The court heard he had previous convictions for unlawful violence and possessing drugs.

Judge Peter Baker QC told Ashes: "You behaved very oddly on this occasion. Fortunately for you the sprays you used didn't cause any lasting damage, only inconvenience and distress at the time."

He ordered Ashes to do 150 hours' community punishment. Mr Al'hassan said that in the earlier incident, Ashes threatened to stab his victim, but did not show a knife.

For Ashes, Jonathan Devlin said they were bizarre offences without apparent motive. Ashes appeared to have been drinking alcohol.

Mr Devlin said Ashes maintained the spray had been a medical-type inhaler.

Updated: 12:45 Saturday, March 09, 2002