A MAN has been jailed for more than nine years for a “revenge” attack on a pub manager that left him with a fractured skull.

Isaac Morrison had been barred from Alfie’s in The Broadway, Winchester, and returned moments later masked, hooded and brandishing a knife, a court heard

He slashed twice at manager Craig Friswell and cut his head with a knife and fractured his skull in two places leading to a bleed to the brain.

Brave members of staff and customers armed with chairs overpowered Morrison and he was arrested and initially charged with attempted murder. He later denied wounding with intent but changed his plea in June.

Sentencing at Winchester Crown Court, Judge Jane Miller QC said Morrison, 24, was a danger to the public, prepared to use extreme violence in an act of revenge and “there is no reason to think you wouldn’t do it again. I find that you are a danger. You are a violent and dangerous young man.”

Morrison, a father of one, who appeared in court wearing a sweatshirt with the 1960s peace symbol on it, burst into tears as he was led down.

The judge said he will serve at least two-thirds of the nine and half year sentence before he is eligible for parole and on release will be on extended licence for another five years. Members of his family in the public galley were heard to brand the sentence as disgusting.

Prosecuting, Martyn Booth said the incident happened at about 2.15am on Tuesday April 30. Morrison was in the pub with his girlfriend, named only as Hannah, and was being “argumentative, belligerent and aggressive” because he thought he was not being served quickly enough.

Mitigating, Patrick Harte said his client did not express any remorse at the time but he was now remorseful. Morrison, of Penny Mead, Harlow, Essex, was “deeply disturbed “ by what he had done. At the time had problems with alcohol and drugs.

Mr Harte disputed it was a revenge attack saying “he wanted to scare the person he had the argument with.”

Mr Friswell was in hospital for five days. In a victim impact statement he said he is still not allowed to drive and the incident has affected him and his family, costing him a large financial bonus and stopping him from taking his children on holiday or playing any sport which has isolated him from friends.