A DOG owner who threw a brick at another man, hitting him near the eye, has been jailed for 18 months.

Nigel Anthony Proctor, 48, also threatened to burn down the victim’s house in the street confrontation that followed an incident in a pub involving the dog, York Crown Court heard.

The victim needed surgery to deal with the injury. Proctor had been on a community order including rehabilitative work on his drink problem.

Judge Paul Worsley QC said: “This has to be prison today. You were given an opportunity in June last year to avoid prison and your response has been unimpressive.”

He jailed Proctor for 15 months for the new offences, plus three months consecutively for a burglary for which the dog owner had received the

community order.

Proctor, of Storey Close, Helmsley, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and making threats to set a house on fire.

The judge said the victim had apologised to Proctor for what happened in the pub.

But Proctor had followed him home and told him: “I am going to torch your house.”

The victim had chased him and Proctor had picked up a brick and threw it.

It hit the victim near the eye making a”serious” injury that needed surgery and stitches.

York Crown Court heard the community order was imposed for burgling a jeweller’s and stealing items worth £3,000 when Proctor was in drink.

For Proctor, Taryn Turner said there was a background to the brick assault and arson threat.

The apology had nearly led to another argument, she said.

“The defendant in temper foolishly picked up a brick from nearby and threw it at the complainant, causing a very unpleasant injury,” she said.

The two men lived close to each other.

Proctor accepted he had a drink problem which led to him committing offences and was trying to tackle it.

During the pub incident the dog had gone for someone’s ankles and Proctor had tried to restrain it, she said.