A MAN who killed a known criminal on Christmas Day using a wheel brace was sentenced to just three years in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Kevin Wright, 27, stopped and threw the wheelbrace at Kevin Mawhinney, who was armed with a stick and was chasing the defendant down the street.

Wright, of George Avenue, Easington Colliery had gone to the home of 33 year-old Mr Mawhinney's girlfriend on Christmas night bent on revenge after a friend was attacked near her home.

He was first chased from the house by a woman wielding a knife then by Mawhinney, of James Street, Easington Colliery.

As Mawhinney advanced, Wright picked up a wheel brace that was lying on the road and threw it at him. In what Judge Peter Fox described as an "unusual and tragic" situation, the pointed end lodged struck Mr Mawhinney and killed him.

The court heard that Wright had been drinking when he arrived at the home of friend Craig Souter.

Shortly afterwards, another friend turned up claiming he had been attacked by a 16-strong gang outside Mawhinney's girlfriend's home.

Armed with two hammers, the three men went for revenge.

They were met by a group armed with weapons including hammers, pans and kitchen knives.

In a statement read out in court, Wright, a former soldier, said he only armed himself after the woman started chasing him.

The court heard that Wright, in contrast with Mawhinney, had no previous convictions.