A HAVE-A-GO hero was slashed across the hand with a craft knife after coming to the aid of a young woman who had been punched in a nightclub.

Stewart Burns needed stitches in the wound after trying to tackle suspected attacker George Jeffries in Hartlepool town centre, a court heard.

Jeffries was yesterday jailed for a year at Teesside Crown Court after he admitted unlawful wounding on August 18 last year.

Judge Peter Armstrong told him: "The use of a knife to wound somebody is almost inevitably going to result in a custodial sentence."

The court heard that plasterer Mr Burns, 25, tried to help after noticing a woman in tears after he left Shades in Church Street at 1.50am.

The victim pointed out a man as her attacker who was seen to be jumping and bouncing around, apparently boasting about what he had done.

Prosecutor Graeme Gaston said a jeep arrived on the scene and the driver asked who had been hitting women.

Mr Gaston said Jeffries became "edgy" and tried to run from the area, but Mr Burns intervened and tried to stop him fleeing.

"He swung around lashed out and slashed Mr Burns with a knife on his right hand," Mr Gaston told the court.

"This instantly drew blood and someone had to help by putting a belt around his arm to stop the flow of blood."

Jeffries was then knocked to the ground and punched before door staff detained him while they waited for police to arrive.

The court heard that Jeffries, of Lightfoot Crescent, Hartlepool, was drinking heavily at the time of the assault because of personal problems.

Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said the 22-year-old was downing a bottle of vodka or nine litres of cider a day to help him cope.

Mr Constantine said Jeffries took the knife from a friend earlier in the evening because he thought his pal was too drunk and could get into trouble.