A FIRST date with a girl on Valentine's Day did not go well for scaffolding worker Anthony Howell.

First, he upset his date with his 'boorish' behaviour towards her in a Cotswold pub, then he got into a row with the manager and finally he was arrested after using a fire extinguisher to attack a pensioner who intervened to tell him to calm down.

At Gloucester Crown Court yesterday Howell, 32, of Dragonfly Road, Covingham, Swindon, admitted assaulting 66 year old Martin Chapman causing him actual bodily harm at the Riverside pub in Lechlade, on Valentine's Day this year.

His attack left Mr Chapman with a cut over the left eye needing eight stitches as well as injuries to his nose and face.

Howell, who has a lengthy criminal record, was sentenced to 15 months jail suspended for two years. He was also ordered to undergo a 45 day activity requirement and he was made subject to a 3 months home electronically tagged curfew from 8pm 5am every night.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said "That night he went for a drink with a lady he had just met, a Miss Jones, and they went on their date to the Riverside.

"Miss Jones says that he made unwanted advances upon her while in the pub. A little bit of a scene occurred and the bar manager went over to them to try to deal with the issue. She was unable to do so successfully.

"Then entered Mr Chapman. It was a Six Nations rugby day and he had been at another pub having a few drinks before moving to the Riverside to watch the remainder of the game.

"He didn't see the build up of the issue between the defendant and Miss Jones but he did see the difficulty the manager was having. He intervened because, as he said, 'I am 66 years old and I don't take kindly to bullies.

"I stepped in because the man was having a go at the manager and he was being unpleasant.

"'I tried to defuse the situation.'"

Mr Kesner said in fact the situation escalated as a result of his intervention and Howell grabbed a glass and tried to smash it. He was unsuccessful and he then picked up a fire extinguisher and pushed it at Mr Chapman.

In a victim statement Mr Chapman described his facial injuries and said the damage had left him suffering headaches - which he had never had before - as well as needing optical treatment. He now has to war spectacles all the time, which he had not before.

Mr Kesner said Howell had made 25 previous court appearaces for 83 offences including wounding, possessing an offensive weapon, being drunk and common assault.

He committed the latest offence in breach of a court community order.

Joe Maloney, defending, said "The injuries were, mercifully, not as bad as they might have been. He accepts he was not in the best frame of mind that night.

"As far as the date was concerned things had not gone as well as I am sure both of then hoped.

"After the bar manager came across Mr Chapman said 'Let's take this outside.' Using the fire extinguisher was on the spur of the moment. He has little recollection of the glass.

"He accepts he went outside at the invitation of Mr Chapman. It was a foolish invitation and a foolish acceptance."

Mr Maloney pointed out that Howell's last conviction for violence was ten years ago.

Currently laid off after the ending of a scaffolding contract, he expected to working again within two weeks, Mr Maloney added.

Recorder Malcolm Gibney, passing sentence, told Howell: "You took the young lady to the Riverside pub and there you engaged in what is described as rather loud conversation and rather boorish behaviour towards her, trying to press your attentions upon her. She was not enamoured by the approaches you were making.

"When what subsequently occurred with Mr Chapman took place she took the opportunity to escape."