A HEROIN addict attacked a Selby man in his home with two crossbows in a dispute over drugs, a court heard.

Craig Naylor, 29, is starting a four-and-a-half year jail term after he admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and carrying an offensive weapon. He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of robbery when he appeared at York Crown Court yesterday.

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, told the court how Naylor threatened Selby man Geoffrey Maguire at his flat in Barlby Road, on March 4 last year, in a dispute over drugs. After getting into the flat, Naylor pulled out two pistol-style crossbows from a bag.

He then fired one shot into Mr Maguire's foot and a second that narrowly missed him.

Naylor, of Carlisle Street, Goole, also admitted robbing registered heroin user Sharron Eldin at his friend's house in Brook Street, Selby, between March and September, 2004. The court heard how Miss Eldin had visited the house and Naylor ran down the stairs towards her shouting for other people to get her. Mr Bradshaw said: "She was dragged into a hallway. He put her in a headlock and she was unable to

move, but during that confrontation, £30 was taken from her pocket."

Nicholas Barker, mitigating, said Naylor's girlfriend had given cash to Miss Eldin to buy heroin, but never received the drugs, and Naylor felt he had been ripped off.

He said the crimes were due to Naylor's involvement in Selby's "drug-taking community".

He said: "He understands that this life of committing crime and using drugs is something that he has to put behind him.

"He had no desire to move back to Selby on his release and he wishes to move away from the area."

Judge Paul Hoffman sentenced Naylor to two-and-a-half years for the robbery, and two years each for the assault occasioning actual bodily harm and for carrying an offensive weapon.

The court heard that Naylor had a string of convictions for violence, dishonesty and burglary dating back to 1989.

He said: "Your record is bad. There is a thread of violence running all the way through it and that does not suggest to me you are a victim, quite the reverse.

He added: "The potential was there for serious violence and we cannot have people walking the streets with weapons such as these.

"There must be a significant penalty to deter you and others from doing the same thing."

Naylor was cleared of a separate charge of perverting the course of justice.

Updated: 10:34 Tuesday, January 24, 2006