A MAN involved in a violent disturbance that left a victim with stab wounds to the buttocks did not get the birthday present he would have hoped for.

Shaun Metcalfe admitted his role in the mass brawl and being in possession of a knife when a dispute over owed money descended into violence.

Metcalfe was celebrating his 22nd birthday when he was sentenced to nine months in custody following the fight in Stockton town centre on June 26.

Recorder Christopher Williams said: "You're 22-years-old today and I suspect this is not the birthday that you have been looking forward to as you appear before me for sentence."

Metcalfe was jailed for nine months for his role in the violent disturbance.

The judge added: "You appear before me having a series of previous convictions and there a number of those, two are regarding weapons. Such that the rehabilitation order was increased and you had a substantial loss of liberty from which you were released only late last year."

The 22-year-old was jailed for a total of nine months.

Ellen Wright, prosecuting, said the man who suffered the stab didn't want to make a formal complaint about the attack but did name the defendant to police officers when they arrived at the scene on Hartington Road, Stockton.

Miss Wright said a witness contacted the police to alert them to an ongoing altercation in the street and warned them that one person appeared to be in possession of a knife.

She said the group surrounded the witnesses car while she was on the phone to the police and saw the defendant with blood on his hands.

Metcalfe, of Leybourne Terrace, Stockton, had pleaded guilty to affray and possession of the knife.

Victoria Lamballe, in mitigation, said: "This was an extremely ugly incident of street violence and it was no doubt extremely distressing for the witness. It is perhaps surprising that the defendant is the only one facing charges relating to this incident."

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