A TEENAGE girl who stabbed an innocent man after a brawl at a party has been locked up for three and a half years.

Two of her friends were imprisoned for 18 months for their part in the night-time attack on Matthew Nimmo in Darlington.

A court heard yesterday that Natasha Dent, Mark Bennett and Jason Woodbridge were at a party when three gatecrashers turned up on January 10.

Following a fight between the uninvited guests and the hosts, the three defendants were told they would be beaten up by someone else and followed two of the gatecrashers.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that they ended up at the house of Mr Nimmo - the uncle of one of the youths - and began kicking the door in.

Mr Nimmo was attacked with an iron bar by Woodbridge before Bennett joined in, while Dent produced a large kitchen knife and screamed: "Shall I stab him, shall I stab him?"

Dent plunged the 8in blade into Mr Nimmo's side and was still trying to get into the house to attack the youths when the police arrived and found her shouting that she was going to kill them.

Police had to use CS spray to subdue Dent, who, Mr Cleasby said, had also "inexplicably" slashed friend Woodbridge in the thigh during the altercation.

Dent, 19, of Eggleston View, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Nimmo, malicious wounding to Woodbridge and violent disorder.

Woodbridge, 19, of Dundee Street, and Bennett, 20, of Stocksmoor Close, all Darlington, admitted violent disorder.

The two men were told by Judge Anthony Briggs: "This expedition, unhappily, ended with an entirely innocent person being seriously injured, and you two effectively started the incident which enabled Dent to stab.

"This was a disgraceful scene of public violence, although I acknowledge that your own function had been invaded."

Barristers for all three defendants told the court their clients regretted what had happened.