AN ESTRANGED couple's chance meeting in a pub escalated into violence, a court heard.

Stephen Ian Hopper was extremely drunk when went up to his ex-partner who was with a friend in The Post Boy in Ferryhill, County Durham.

Durham Crown Court heard Hopper asked where his wallet and bank card were, as he believed he left them when they had separated earlier that month.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said he then asked her for money, which she refused.

He responded by grabbing a glass and throwing it towards her, before picking up a glass cocktail jug and smashing it over her head, causing a scalp wound, which needed five staple-stitches at hospital.

Mr Dryden said Hopper went to the bar, where he was spoken to by a man who was sitting having a drink.

Hopper responded by punching him three times, before pushing him against a chair, fracturing one of his ribs.

He, then, returned to his former partner and pushed her to the floor and then tried to grab her bag.

Another woman tried to intervene, but she was also shoved into a table by Hopper.

Mr Dryden said customers and staff then “manhandled him” outside.

A witness recalled seeing Hopper in another Ferryhill pub later on the night of Friday September 18, when he was carrying a bag of white powder asking if he wanted “any snuff”.

Hopper was arrested in a highly inebriated condition in the Market Place at 1.45am after a struggle in which he had to be taken to the ground and pepper sprayed.

Hopper later told police his recollection was “hazy” as he had drunk about 20 pints and a number of shots.

But he claimed to have only thrown the contents of a glass at his “ex”, and said he acted in self-defence when the man at the bar approached him.

The court heard 17 days later, his former partner received a brief threatening phone call from him during the early hours.

Hopper, 24, of Blandford Street, Ferryhill, admitted unlawful wounding, assault causing actual bodily harm, common assault and intimidation

Peter Sabiston, mitigating, said the defendant expressed, “deep contrition”.

“He’s very sorry and can give no explanation for his thuggish behaviour.

“He now accepts the relationship is over and there will be no efforts by him to rekindle it.”

Jailing him for three years, Judge Christopher Prince also made Hopper subject of an unlimited restraining order, to prevent him trying to contact the victim.