A MAN who inflicted a nasty wound on his girlfriend when he stabbed her in the arm during a row over a mobile phone was spared prison on Friday (December 18) after a court accepted it had been an accident.

Robert Glasper, 32, had been drying a kitchen knife which he used to “deflect” her when she tried to grab the phone out of his pocket, Durham Crown Court was told.

His girlfriend had to be treated for a wound of at least 5cm deep and 3cm wide to her left upper arm, but later told police it was an accident that happened while they were “messing around” in the kitchen.

Glasper, of Rose Crescent, Bournmoor, near Chester-le-Street,was sentenced to ten months imprisonment suspended for two years after he admitted unlawful wounding.

Passing sentence Judge Christopher Prince said: “You have caused a nasty injury with a knife in a domestic setting, recklessly.

“Your girlfriend never said anything other than this was a reckless act on your part and she describes what happened as an accident.

“There are many cases the court hears where men hurt their partners – and visa versa because woman hurt men as well - where the victim later submits a retraction statement.

“That is not the position here – she has never put it this as being any higher than as an accident. That is what distinguishes your case from many others of violence in a domestic setting.”

Liam ‘O Brien, prosecuting, said at the time of the incident in June, Glasper and his girlfriend had been partners for four years - having known each other for ten years before that.

They were washing up dishes together when they had an argument over the use of a mobile phone.

Mr O’Brien said: ”She attempted to grab the phone from his pocket.

"At the time he was holding a knife which he was in the process of drying. He accepts that he was reckless in attempting to deflect her.

“He maintains this was one and only time they had been involved in a domestic incident and he bitterly regrets the consequences of his actions."

Tony Davis, mitigating, said: “He has always maintained it was more of an accident. He has accepted that he was reckless.

"He has now been in custody for six months and done done the equivalent of (a jail sentence of) just over 12 months.

Glasper will also be required to undertake a 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement.