A MAN broke the ribs of his cheating partner's lover during a fight in the toilets of a pub on the eve of Valentine's Day.

John Metcalfe confronted Alan Brown in the Lord Boyne, in Langley Moor, a year after the brief fling ended.

Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday that the two men scuffled and fell to the floor, and 53-year-old Metcalfe landed on Mr Brown, 43.

The fight stopped when another customer entered the toilets, and Metcalfe fled from the pub with his partner and daughter.

Mr Brown was taken to the University Hospital of Durham and had a chest drain inserted for a suspected punctured lung.

Metcalfe admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Judge Peter Armstrong also ordered him to undergo two years of probation supervision and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

He ordered Metcalfe to attend a Think First programme and said: "This is to avoid you getting into this sort of trouble again."

Katherine Dunn, mitigating, told Judge Armstrong that Metcalfe had arrived at the court expecting to be jailed for the assault.

But she urged against an immediate prison sentence because, despite having a lengthy record, Metcalfe had not been in trouble for almost ten years.

"He is now 53-years-old and he is finally starting to grow up," Miss Dunn said. "As a direct result of settling down with his partner eight years ago and having a child, he has turned his life around.

"He has turned up today expecting to go to prison, but a custodial sentence would have a dramatic impact on his young family."

Judge Armstrong heard that Metcalfe, of Beech Park, Brandon, was last in court to face a charge of affray in 1999, his only conviction for violence.

He said: "That's a considerable period you have kept out of trouble, given your poor background, and that is because of your family life.

"You have finally settled down so it is, therefore, unfortunate there is this background to this particular incident involving your family life.

"No doubt you lost your temper with Mr Brown and attacked him in the toilets of the public house.

"You are realistic that this offence justifies custody, but it seems that there are reasons where it is possible to suspend that sentence and attach requirements."