MAYHEM broke out in a restaurant when a man who lived above the premises ran amok one evening.

John Paul Kidd struck the manager, fracturing his skull, and caused £2,500 worth of damage in the spree at the Millennium Restaurant, in Framwellgate Moor, Durham, on December 23, 2005.

Staff ushered the handful of diners to a room in the cellar of the Front Street premises for their safety.

Durham Crown Court heard that attempts made to stop Kidd, known locally as Buster, included throwing curry powder over him.

Tim Parkin, prosecuting, said police came across a scene "of complete mayhem".

He said: "There was considerable damage and the defendant was found lying drunk behind the bar with some injuries.

"He was living at the time above the restaurant and there was a history of complaints of noise from the flat disturbing diners. Staff members had been upstairs to complain about his behaviour earlier."

Mr Parkin said Kidd appeared with others in the restaurant later already with an injury.

He said: "He was to say waiters from the restaurant were responsible for his injuries.

"That is denied by them and how he came about his injuries is not something the prosecution knows about."

Kidd, 26, of Newton Drive, Framwellgate Moor, admitted malicious wounding and affray at a previous hearing.

Stephen Rich, in mitigation, told the court that his client said there had been no complaints about noise in the flat earlier.

He added that Kidd said some of the restaurant staff were responsible for his injuries.

Mr Rich said: "He went in to remonstrate with the manager and everything went haywire from there."

Jailing him for four years, Judge George Moorhouse told Kidd: "You caused absolute mayhem in that restaurant.

"Staff and customers were terrified, more than £2,500 worth of damage was caused and, in the course, you seriously assaulted the owner."

He said Kidd was considered as a high risk of causing serious harm to members of the public.