A FORMER Skipton bar manager of the Yorkshire Rose Pub attacked the landlord like a 'whirling dervish' and 'fought like a girl' hours after being sacked, the town's magistrates were told.

Craig Borrill, 36, denied assaulting Steven Gray and claimed it was the landlord who had attacked him, but magistrates found him guilty saying he had been drinking heavily on top of medication and he had been aggrieved.

The court heard that Borrill had returned to the Coach Street pub on his way home, at around 10.30pm on December 6 after drinking six pints of lager and three or four glasses of Jack Daniels whiskey.

Earlier, at the end of the lunchtime session, Borrill had been sacked after the kitchen had been unable to cater for a party of ten people who had booked in to eat during the town's busy Yuletide Festival.

Borrill had confronted Mr Gray, who had been inside at the bar eating pizza and talking to his new bar manager when he had seen Borrill and had run to the door to intercept him, the court heard.

Borrill shouted at Mr Gray and attacked him with flailing arms, leaving the landlord with red marks to his chest and a grazed arm and hand.

Mr Gray, landlord of the Yorkshire Rose for two-and-a-half years, said he had employed Borrill on a casual basis for more than a year and as bar manager for three months.

He said he had sacked Borrill, whom he described as a friend, for a number of reasons. He had become unreliable and would come to work in the clothes he had worn the day before, but he had also been annoyed at what had happened on December 6.

"He started swearing and shouting at me and then started hitting me, he fights like a girl with flaying arms. He punched me in the chest and I put my arms up to defend myself, he was definitely drunk and enraged, he was incoherent, like a whirling dervish," he said.

Mr Gray wrestled him to the ground and with the help of Steve Tooley, knelt on Borrill until the police arrived, arrested him and took him to Harrogate Police Station.

On his way to Harrogate in the police van, Borrill fell from his seat and was taken to Harrogate Hospital where he was treated for a cut to his forehead.

John Mewies, defending Borrill, said his client was not an aggressive man, had been emotional and upset and had wanted an explanation from his former employer.

Borrill, now of Moor Road, Bellerby, Leyburn, was fined £120 and ordered to pay £620 in costs, a £20 surcharge and £50 compensation to Mr Gray.