FORMER friends came to blows over a girl when they ended up in the same pub after separate drinking sessions, a court heard.

Liam Allinson, 21, and Jamie Sleightholme were thrown out of Aspire in Redcar by door staff when they started brawling.

The violence continued outside, and Mr Sleightholme suffered a broken jaw, Richard Wilson, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court.

Allinson, of Kininvie Close, Redcar, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, and was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence.

The carpet-fitter was also ordered to pay £750 compensation, £1,200 court costs and do 150 hours of unpaid community work.

Judge Tony Briggs described the assault as "nasty", but said Allinson was being spared custody partly because of his previous good character.

David Lamb, mitigating, said: "It is clear there is a very different side to this young man's character to that which he exhibited that night.

"He is employed and others clearly think very highly of him, and there appears to have been a good deal of provocation leading up to this."

Mr Wilson told the court that the two men had been friends, but fell out after a dispute said to have centred on Allinson's girlfriend.

He had been drinking in Sunderland and Mr Sleightholme in Redcar before they came together in Aspire on September 17 last year.

Mr Wilson said Allinson put Mr Sleightholme in a headlock and punched him before they fell to the ground and began to tussle.

It was said Mr Sleightholme put his thumb in Allinson's eye and thumped him before he was bitten on the cheek and kicked in the head.

Mr Lamb said: "It was a single kick after the complainant had begun to attack the defendant . . . it really amounts to self-defence gone too far.