A THUG who went on an orgy of violence in which passers-by were assaulted and a man hurled to his death from a window has had his 18-year sentence cut.

Jonathan Crossling, of Hillside Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, was jailed in June after admitting man-slaughter, four counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and one of aggravated burglary.

The 38-year-old, who fled to Spain to avoid trial but was later extradited after a legal tussle, had his sentence cut to 14 years yesterday.

Mr Justice Goldring, sitting at London's Appeal Court with Lord Justice Buxton, concluded "with some hesitation" that the original term was too long.

Crossling ran amok in Middlesbrough with Thomas Petch and George Coleman in a hunt for a man named Craig Dalziel, their rival in a local "turf war".

Mr Justice Goldring told the court: "He and his accomplices were trying to find and attack a man called Dalziel, who they believed had been stealing drugs from prostitutes who had been supplied by Crossling or others in his group.

"It was Crossling's intention to find him and stop him."

The 22-hour "spree of violence" on August 6, 2001, started when the gang stormed into a brothel in Errol Street, Middlesbrough, looking for Dalziel, only to discover their hapless first victim, Kalvant Singh.

Crossling and one of his accomplices repeatedly struck Mr Singh before he was "thrown out of the window" suffering fatal injuries.

The gang's "campaign of violence" was fuelled by crack cocaine, and included a vicious unprovoked attack on a young man.

Tom Bayliss, for Crossling, said the overall sentence was excessive, and submitted a petition with an array of signatures complaining about the length of it.

Mr Bayliss also presented the court with letters from Crossling's family "indicating another side to him".