A man stabbed a neighbour with whom he had previously been friendly during an afternoon street confrontation, a court heard.

Neighbours in South Moor, Stanley, were alerted to the incident by shouts of: “Stay away from my daughter”,as Paul Baillie remonstrated with the other man at about 4pm, on August 7.

Durham Crown Court heard that onlookers described the situation as, “very heated” as Baillie approached the other man, who backed off to the doorway of his home.

Another witness believed he saw a shoe being thrown at Baillie, who at that point was seen to be holding a knife.

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Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said that there was then some apparent shoving and grappling, and one witness said he decided to phone for the police.

Another caller told police he had seen one man stabbing another, with the victim suffering an apparent injury to the face.

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Police attended the address and saw the victim with two lacerations to his cheek and jaw area.

He told officers that another person had stabbed him with what he described as an old knife covered in tar.

But he refused to provide a formal statement or co-operate further with the police investigation and did not seek medical assistance.

Mr Harley said police arrested the defendant at his home address and found the knife under a chair in the living room.

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He was arrested and admitted the stabbing but said he had reacted to having a brick thrown at him.

Baillie told police he armed himself after the dispute escalated.

The 52-year-old defendant, of William Street, South Moor, Stanley, admitted unlawful wounding and possessing a knife in public.

Mr Harley said the defendant’s record of eight convictions for 14 offences included one previous case involving an offensive weapon, from 2012.

Vic Laffey, for Baillie, said he accepts the “inevitability” of an immediate prison.

“He has had an argument with somebody who, up to this point, had been a friend of his.

“He had been drinking and claims the other man threw a brick at him, but accepts his reaction to that was unacceptable.

“He hasn’t been in trouble for eight years and he accepts, ultimately, custody is the only option for the court.”

Mr Laffey provided the court with a reference from a community organisation with whom Baillie had been working, “showing a different side to him.”

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He said the defendant has, “a decent work ethic, but has suffered with anxiety and depression”, and added that he turned to alcohol as, “a support mechanism.”

Judge James Adkin said the defendant knew the victim as he lived relatively close to him, but a heated argument broke out in which he armed himself with the knife and inflicted two stab wounds to the other man’s face.

Imposing an immediate 15-month prison sentence, he told Baillie the outcome could have been, “far worse” for both the victim and for himself.