A 'VERY aggressive, violent young man' has been barred from going into Cirencester town centre at night for the next three years, after a rampage during which he attacked six people and wrecked a girl's 18th birthday.

Jack Ayres, 21, knocked the birthday girl's father unconscious and broke his nose in the town centre on October 15.

He also punched the girl's mother and another woman, felling both of them to the ground, and he hit a 14-year-old boy.

After being arrested, he went berserk in a police custody suite and assaulted two officers, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Ayres, of Burge Court, Cirencester, was at the time of the offences subject to a suspended jail sentence for earlier violence, the court heard.

He admitted three offences of common assault, one of assault causing actual bodily harm, one of assaulting a police officer and one of assaulting a custody officer.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC jailed him for a total of 28 months and made a criminal behaviour order excluding him from the town between 7pm-7am every night for three years.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner told the court: "He has a significant reputation in Cirencester for meting out violence. He is a man who at times cannot control his temper."

He said that on October 15, David Laight and his wife Lisa were at their daughter's 18th birthday party at Cirencester Rugby Club with other family members.

At midnight they went on to Stoney's in the town centre.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Laight saw his 14-year-old son being pushed about by two men, so he intervened and everything calmed down.

But when Mr Laight was leaving Stoney's later with his family he was attacked by Ayres who punched him in the face.

It was a hard punch that broke Mr Laight's nose and knocked him out, Mr Kesner said.

"He went to the ground unconscious and was then kicked in the head or chest. When he came to, he saw the defendant swinging punches at a 14-year-old boy nearby.

"Mr Laight started to feel woosy and he went to hospital. He had a CT scan and it was found he was unconscious."

Mr Kesner said as Ayres walked away Mrs Laight confronted him about what he had done and he punched her in the face.

She fell to the ground as Ayres then punched her friend Samantha Adams, who also fell over.

Mrs Laight had injuries to her hands and knees and Mrs Adams suffered an aching jaw and significant leg bruising which left her limping.

Ayres was arrested on October 30 and was initially calm and co-operative but by the time he got to the custody centre near Gloucester he was very aggressive.

When he was asked to take off his shoes he threw them at custody sergeant Daniel Wood, hitting him in the head.

Two officers grabbed his arms and walked him to a cell but when one let go he attacked the other, PC Joseph Goodhall, punching him in the face.

Ayres was such a handful that even though other officers went to help he had to be tasered, Mr Kesner said.

The barrister outlined Ayres' long list of offences for violence starting with an affray in 2012, followed by numerous offences of battery and finishing last year when he received an eight months suspended jail term for assault causing actual bodily harm.

Dermot Clark, defending, said: "The problem is drink, drugs, late nights and unsavoury friends. It is the recipe for disaster."

He said Ayres has been seeking help from his GP for the last two years for anxiety, nightmares and depression and is taking Citalopram.

Passing sentence, Judge Tabor told Ayres he had picked on vulnerable victims and should be 'utterly, utterly ashamed'.

"I suggest you see a psychiatrist as soon as you come out of prison," he said. "You are a very aggressive, violent young man."

PS Garrett Gloyn said: “I am grateful to the licensee members of the Behave or be Banned scheme in Cirencester.

"They had previously banned Mr Ayres from their premises because of his behaviour. I believe it is regrettable that a few pubs in the town centre chose not to join the scheme and continued to serve Mr Ayres.

"Being able to purchase alcohol in these premises is likely to have contributed to his most recent offending. 

"I encourage all licensees in Cirencester to join their BoBs scheme which should strengthen its deterrent value and demonstrate they have the same attention to public safety as those pubs who are already members.

"I would also like to thank the Cirencester Street Pastors and Mr Mark Jennings for their evidence in support of the behaviour order.”