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By Dominic Gover: Subscribe to Dominic's RSS feed | January 25, 2013 4:34 PM GMT
A dad who bit off another man's finger in a bloody brawl at a school nativity play has been jailed.
Lee Wilkinson, 40, was jailed for the assault on a man who had started a relationship with his wife.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Wilkinson pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and a public order offence.
The court heard that a row broke out between Wilkinson and Michael Dent at a stage production about the birth of Jesus, performed by young children at Harton Primary School in Tyneside.
When the pair began fighting, Dent shoved his hand into Wilkinson's mouth. Bridie Smurthwaite, prosecuting, told the court: "The defendant then bit hard on the finger.
"Mr Dent forcibly pulled his hand away and the injury then occurred."
Bad feeling existed between Wilkinson and Dent prior to the fight, which was not witnessed by any children.
The court heard that Wilkinson's marriage hit trouble after he began working off-shore and spent long periods of time away from home. He had switched jobs after being attacked while working as a taxi driver.
Speaking about the affair between Dent and Wilkinson's wife, Tom Moran, for the defence, said: "The relationship became serious and the defendant separated from his wife. That gave rise to a large amount of animosity and hostility."
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