A MAN has been jailed for a year after he was found guilty of affray.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court took just 20 minutes to convict Carl Durkin of the charge.

The 30-year-old had admitted possessing a knife in Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland in the early hours of December 12 last year, but denied using it in a threatening fashion.

Prosecutor Ian West had said Durkin held out the knife at a man after a woman he was with was accused of being a car thief.

In his account Durkin claimed it was he in fact that was accused of being the thief and said he was then assaulted by two men who then told him to turn out his pockets.

Durkin, of Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland, was given a 12 month jail sentence for the affray and a concurrent eight month sentence for possessing a bladed article.