A MAN who knifed his brother during a drunken argument has dodged prison.

Nicholas Trueman was given a suspended jail term after spending two months behind bars on remand while he waited for his case to reach court.

The 57-year-old, of Barbara Mann Court, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

He appeared at Teesside Crown Court on a live video-link from Durham Prison to be sentenced by Recorder Bryan Cox, QC.

The judge imposed a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, a rehabilitation activity requirement, a four-month curfew from 7pm to 7am and ordered Trueman to undergo alcohol treatment for six months.

Mr Recorder Cox told him: "These orders are designed to help you help yourself, stay out of trouble and make sure you don't behave violently in the future. If you do, you are likely to end up in prison for a significant period.

"It is important you address your problems with drink because they have plainly played an important part in causing you to offend."

The court heard how Trueman and his brother had been estranged since the death of their father, but had got back in touch shortly before the incident on January 30.

They were drinking wine at Trueman's home before going to the brother's house, prosecutor Jenny Haigh said.

The defendant picked up a large knife from the kitchen to help his sibling open a packet of food, and still had it in his hand when visitors arrived and he argued with them on the doorstep.

Miss Haigh said the two brothers rowed about a mobile phone, before there was a tussle and the victim suffered a small wound to his chest, his left cheek and a broken right wrist.

Graham Silvester, mitigating, said: "They had spent all day drinking. It is an aggravating feature, and his alcohol consumption is something that causes the defendant some concern."