AN inmate who knifed another inmate over socks was given a life sentence yesterday.

Peter Michael Watson, 21, was angered when he was woken at 9.30am by laundry deliverer Andrew Mann, 20, banging on his door at Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution, Barnard Castle, asking if he wanted clean socks.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said Watson complained that he had been woken up.

Nine days later, Mann was playing table tennis in the games room when Watson entered.

The ball bounced on to the floor and as he bent down to pick it up, Watson struck him in the face.

Mr Dodds told Teesside Crown Court: "Witnesses saw that Watson had a yellow bladed instrument. Mann had a deep three-inch cut across his top lip. He told prison officers that he had been slashed by The Tramp, the inmates' nickname for Watson."

Mann was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital, where he had eight stitches to the outside of his lip and six stitches to the inside.

Watson told police that he was annoyed with Mann for waking him up on the Saturday.

David Callan, defending, said that Watson knew he was facing a life sentence but urged the judge: "He is still a 21-year-old man and bear in mind a probation officer's remarks that a long sentence will have a corrosive affect on him."

Watson, who was found guilty of the April 15 wounding with intent, his third conviction for wounding since he was 18, was given a mandatory life sentence.

Judge Peter Bowers recommended he should be considered for parole after two years.

He added: "The Parole Board can judge what risk you will be at that stage."