TWO thugs who attacked a York pub owner after a row over a juice carton have been jailed.

Paul Lomax, 21, of Middleham Avenue, Huntington, and Michael Evans, 22, of Thorseby Road, Acomb, punched and threatened Peter O'Toole outside the Judges Lodgings, in Lendal.

Mr O'Toole objected when one of the men jumped on the carton splattering orange juice around, and he was set upon by the defendants.

Lomax and Evans were put behind bars for 15 and 17 months respectively at York Crown Court.

They had both pleaded guilty to affray, but a trial had been necessary as they had denied punching and kicking Mr O'Toole.

At an earlier hearing, Mr O'Toole said: "I got out of my car and noticed the carton on the floor. There were two guys coming out of the pub. As I bent down to pick it up, they jumped on it and orange juice went everywhere.

"I asked them to leave the premises, and they said: 'Who are you to tell us what to do?'

"One of them motioned to head-butt me, and they started to throw punches. They said: 'We're going to kill you; we're going to burn your house down; we're going to track down your family.'

"I was in no doubt that I was going to suffer serious physical damage."

Evans also threw a chair at Mr O'Toole's car, causing hundreds of pounds damage, but the court heard Evans had met Mr O'Toole since the incident and apologised, leading to him no longer being barred from the pub.

Sentencing the men, the Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, said: "This was a shocking incident - punching, serious threats against the life of the victim and his family, and a threat to do damage to his house, to burn it. It was a very unpleasant incident. The complainant has said that he was frightened for his life.

"Both of you must go to prison for this level of violence. To do otherwise would be to send the wrong message."

He noted that Mr O'Toole had contacted the court to say he had been impressed by Evans's apology.

Lomax was sentenced to 12 months for the affray.

He was also given two three-month sentences for previous offences of battery to run concurrently with each other but consecutively to the 12-month term.

Evans was given 15 months for his part in the affray, and a further two months for previous offences of spitting on three police officers.

Updated: 10:22 Friday, March 03, 2006