A BOTTLE-THROWING customer who fractured the cheekbone of a shopkeeper in an inexplicable late-night attack was locked up yesterday.

Johad Hassan was told by a judge that he lost his temper "for no apparent reason" and became "immediately violent" towards Zafar Mahmood.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Hassan had put eight bottles of lager on the counter, but tried to convince Mr Mahmood there were only seven.

When the Middlesbrough trader challenged Hassan, he raged "you're taking the p***" and launched his attack, said Shaun Dodds, prosecuting.

Hassan shoved shop assistant Kenneth Callaghan twice in the chest in the melee before hurling two bottles at Mr Mahmood on February 9. The trouble was captured on security cameras in Best Buy, in Borough Road, and was shown to the judge, Recorder Simon Bourne-Arton QC.

The court heard how Hassan, 22, had previous convictions for wounding, possessing a lock knife, public disorder and assaulting police.

His barrister, Paul Cleasby, described the offence as "shocking" and accepted the former pizza chef 's past record put him at risk of being jailed.

He told Mr Recorder Bourne-Arton: "He has explained that didn't want to hurt the man, and was throwing the bottles indiscriminately.

"The injury appears to have been caused recklessly, rather than deliberately . . . his liberty is very much in jeopardy.

He fears custody."

The judge told Hassan: "Only custody is necessary in this case. The problems you have with temper result in you being violent."

Hassan, of Devonshire Road, Middlesbrough, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm onMrMahmood and assaulting Mr Callaghan.

Mr Recorder Bourne-Arton jailed him for two-and-a-half years after telling him: "You are somebody who has a history of violence."

Mr Cleasby earlier said Hassan had "deficits in impulsivity" and "a lack of temper control" probation officers were keen to work to address.

He told the judge: "Your Honour has a stark choice of either imposing immediate custody or giving him a final chance to prove he can grow up and address clear deficits in thinking."