A JOBLESS Bromsgrove man living with two girlfriends knifed one of them in the leg after a drinking binge, Worcester Crown Court heard on Monday.

Jonathan Brookes, who had downed ten pints of lager on top of anti-depressant tablets, waved a kitchen blade near Yvonne Bull's face during a row before causing an 8cm wound.

But Mrs Bull forgave him and did not want him prosecuted, said defence counsel William Rickarby. Their relationship was continuing.

Brookes, aged 31, of Beech Road, Sidemoor, was given two years' probation and ordered to pay £200 court costs. He admitted unlawful wounding.

He had a 13-year relationship with a woman named Julie and another relationship with Mrs Bull, who was in her sixties, said Andrew Tucker, prosecuting.

The first relationship -- which had produced a child -- was at an end and Brookes was planning to move to Weston-super-Mare with Mrs Bull.

But on February 2 this year Brookes left a pub drunk, then smoked a cannabis cigarette before becoming unpleasant.

Mrs Bull became scared and the other woman intervened before being pushed away by Brookes.

Mr Tucker said he got a knife from the kitchen and cut Mrs Bull's left leg. She also suffered three hand lacerations as she tried to defend herself.

Brookes sat jabbing the knife into the floor before being arrested. He was sorry and said he loved Mrs Bull and would not intentionally hurt her.

He had been going through a bizarre but intense romance and found himself in difficult circumstances, said Mr Rickarby.

Mrs Bull, who had been at the pub with him, thought his drinks had been spiked.

Since the incident, he had stopped drinking and had done all he could to make amends, the court heard.

Judge Marten Coates told Brookes that people who use weapons were normally sent to jail. He said it was an inexcusable attack on a defenceless woman.

The judge ordered Brookes to take part in an anti domestic violence programme. If he failed to participate, he could expect an alternative sentence of 18 months in custody.