A MAN “lost it, big-style” when he believed his girlfriend was being chatted up at a neighbour’s birthday house party.

Christopher James Nicholson grabbed the knife used to cut the birthday cake and, after making several threats, lunged at the other party-goer, who he suspected of being over familiar with his partner.

Durham Crown Court heard the man under attack put up his hand in a bid to defend himself and suffered a cut of more than 3ins to the back of the left thumb.

Although other party-goers stepped in to pull Nicholson away, the victim went outside to ring police and to seek assistance for his injury.

But while he was doing so, Nicholson emerged from the house and ran towards him waving the knife, causing the injured man to flee to the end of the street.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the victim looked back to see the defendant using the knife to slash all four tyres on his Vauxhall Passat car, parked outside the party house, in Guthrum Place, Newton Aycliffe.

The court heard the episode did not end there, as when police arrived at Nicholson’s nearby house, he shouted threats and threw several items out of an upstairs window at officers, including a vacuum cleaner and a glass vase which smashed, spraying a constable with glass.

Mr Dryden said after about ten minutes it came to an end, however, when Nicholson walked out of the house and allowed himself to be arrested.

He was taken to a police station and made no reply to questions.

Mr Dryden said Nicholson was not invited to the party, on August 17, but no-one took exception when he turned up as the atmosphere was initially good-natured, until he snapped.

The victim did not require hospital treatment as he was attended at the scene by paramedics, who inserted steri-strips to the injury.

Nicholson, 36, of Guthrum Place, admitted unlawful wounding, possessing a bladed article in public, criminal damage and affray.

Ian West, mitigating, told the court: “Mr Nicholson is realistic enough to know that for this litany of offences it has got to be a prison sentence.

“As he concedes, he lost it, big-style for a few moments and these offences resulted.”

Jailing him for two years and two months, Recorder Peter Makepeace QC, told Nicholson: “You have an unenviable record for violence and I accept what Mr West said, that you lost if big-style that evening.

“The problem is, you keep just ‘losing it’ and, sooner or later, if you keep committing offences like this, the court will have to sentence you under the dangerousness provisions and you could go to prison for an unfixed time.”