A MAN who smashed a bottle over the head of an adversary he had not seen for ten years avoided prison yesterday.

Despite his record of violence, Dennis David Dunn, 36, was given another chance by Judge Peter Fox at Teesside Crown Court.

Dunn admitted a charge of wounding, two of criminal damage and one of affray.

John Gillette, prosecuting, told the court that Dunn, a father-of-two of Dene Terrace, Chilton, County Durham, had 12 previous convictions for violence.

Last April, a drunken Dunn had gone to a house in Chilton carrying a wine bottle and saw James Cafferty, whom he had not seen for ten years.

Mr Gillette said that although so much time had passed, there was a history of animosity between the two.

He said that as Mr Cafferty was trying to leave, Dunn smashed the wine bottle over his head, leaving him with two cuts.

Dunn told police he thought his victim was going to get a knife to attack him, so carried out a pre-emptive strike.

In June, following an argument, Dunn smashed up the home he and Roxanne Brennan shared in Ushaw Moor. He had then smashed the window of a police car and another vehicle.

Paul Cleasby, for Dunn, said his client had spent six months in prison on remand and had dramatically improved his behaviour. He said that before the "moment of madness", he had been out of violent trouble for two-and-a-half years.

The judge said he was willing to give Dunn a chance, but if he betrayed that trust he was looking at a prison sentence of at least three years.

He sentenced him to a three-year community rehabilitation programme, with reports on his progress being submitted to the judge every six months.