The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, warned Ryan Philip Warren that unless he stopped drinking, he could kill someone.
Lydia Pearce, prosecuting, said the 25-year-old with a history of violence and public order offences demanded the husband hand over the phone the couple were using to navigate their way around the city centre.
When the husband refused, Warren started throwing punches and when the wife intervened, he grabbed her arms with such force that he bruised her.
The thug claimed he needed the phone to make a phone call or send a message but later told police he had a phone of his own.
The wife told police later: “Since this incident I cannot sleep, and I think about what could have happened. It ruined our anniversary celebrations.”
Warren, of Long Close Lane, Walmgate, pleaded guilty to attempted theft and affray.
His barrister Rhianydd Clement told York Crown Court he had told her he had numerous mental health problems including autism, dyslexia, borderline personality disorder, paranoia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
He had previously been suicidal and a week before the sentencing had been hit by a bus that had left him with a cut to his head, lower back pain and exacerbated an existing condition of his elbow.
The judge told him: “You have a bad record of public order offences and low level violence. That is all your fault. There’s no point in blaming other people or other factors.
“You have to lay off the drink. It’s as simple as that, or one day you are going to go too far in drink and someone could get killed.”
He jailed Warren for 10 months.
Ms Pearce said the couple had come to York to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary on August 27. They were walking along Piccadilly at 10pm when Warren demanded their phone.
None of Warren’s punches landed and when he realised they had called police he fled into the nearby Holiday Inn empty-handed.
He was still there when police arrived and the couple showed officers where he was.
He was on a community order at the time for other offences and probation officers told the court they couldn’t manage him in the community.
Ms Clement said Warren knew he had to stop drinking and was willing to work with probation and other agencies to tackle it.
He had managed to keep out of trouble for two years when he wasn’t drinking.
He lived in council supported accommodation and was on medication for two of his conditions but couldn’t get medication for his personality disorder until he stopped drinking.
