A WOMAN'S love helped save a town man from another spell behind bars.

Travelling exhibition contractor Andrew Tully, of Catshill, appeared before Harrogate magistrates to face three charges after a late-night incident in and around a pizza take-away in the nearby market town of Boroughbridge.

Prosecutor Michael Hammond said Tully, aged 26, attacked another customer with a bottle in the shop and when he and workmate Trevor Burford, also from Bromsgrove, were followed outside by a gang of four youths Mr Burford was knocked unconscious.

Tully, of Alexander Close, Catshill, went to the aid of his friend, using chairs left outside a nearby pub. He smashed one against a car and another into the door and window of the pizza shop.

Tully, who was on prison licence at the time of the incident, in September 2002, pleaded guilty to assault on Richard Roe, two counts of criminal damage and failing to answer bail.

Defence solicitor Geoffrey Rogers said Tully and Mr Burford - who had damage and affray charges against him dropped - had been in North Yorkshire as part of an exhibition crew, a job which took them all over the country.

They had been for a night out and had drunk heavily.

Tully got into an argument with Mr Roe, which escalated into violence. CCTV footage showed Tully and Mr Burford being followed from the shop. It then cut to a picture of Mr Burford lying unconscious on the ground.

Tully's lifestyle had now undergone a huge change, Mr Rogers told the court.

There had been no further offending in the 16 months since the incident. He was living with a partner and the pair had a young child. He had changed his job so he worked nearer home, initially as a van driver and now as a supervisor for a company which thought highly of him. And his drinking had been drastically curbed.

Mr Rogers said Tully realised he was facing a custodial sentence after offending while on prison licence and using a bottle as a weapon.

But his partner, who was in court, was standing by him.

Presiding magistrate Hugh Simpson told Tully the court was concerned at his record and inability to cope with alcohol. "You have been sent down in the past and you did this while on licence. You don't seem to have learnt and our starting point was how long we should send you away for.'' But from reading a probation report and an employer reference it appeared Tully had turned over a new leaf.

"We are well aware of the effect of the love of a good woman and that it can change a man and as a result we are not sending you to prison."

Tully was made subject to an 18-month community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay a £1,128 bill made up of compensation of £748 for the shop damage, £70 for two chairs and £150 for Mr Roe's injuries along with costs of £110 and a £50 fine for the bail offence.