A VIOLENT thug who smashed a glass into the face of a man during a drunken night out has been jailed for the brutal attack.

Nathan Graham launched the assault on the man as simmering tensions spilled over into violence.

The 27-year-old left his victim with injuries to his face and narrowly avoided causing damage the man's eye after hitting him whilst holding a beer glass in his hand.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Graham was drinking in Sapphires bar on Newport Road in Middlesbrough, which is a popular venue on the LGBT club circuit, when the incident occurred on January 4 last year at around 9pm.

Richard Bennett, prosecuting, told the court that trouble brewed when Graham spotted his victim talking to a friend of his former partner while they were on the dancefloor.

He said: "The next thing he remembers is that he regained consciousness covered in blood with a series of wounds to his face."

The man taken to hospital for treatment and the graphic image of his injuries 'shocked' the defendant when he shown them by police following his arrest.

Mr Bennett added: "When he was arrested he said 'I know what I have done, I have made a mistake and I'm going to admit it'.

"He admitted the assault and said there had been a few cross words with the complainant and he hit him and then left the bar."

Initially, Graham was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm but eventually pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful wounding.

Andrew Turton, in mitigation, accepted that his client had a history of violence but he had been out of serious trouble for several years and urged the judge to spare him immediate custody.

"He was candid with the police and candid in the pre-sentence report," added. "The offence is now a year old and there is no further offences recorded against him."

The court heard how Graham had struggled as a teenager with issues surrounding his sexuality and there had been no violent offences since 2013.

He added: "He described himself as sickened by his actions when in the cold light of day he realised he had hit him with a glass in his hand."

Judge Stephen Ashurst jailed Graham, of Hurworth Close, Stockton, for 20 months after rejecting his counsel's plea.

He said: "He was struck by you, in truth, for no reason and you know that. You let you temper get the better of you and you struck out.

"You may have forgotten you had the glass in your hand but what makes this serious in the sensitive area of the body where he suffered the blow."