A JOBLESS man living with two girlfriends knifed one of them in the leg after a drinking binge, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Jonathan Brookes, who had downed 10 pints of lager on top of anti-depressant tablets, waved a kitchen blade near Yvonne Bull's face during a row before causing an eight centimetre wound.

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

Brookes, aged 31, 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 60s, 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 very drunk, then smoked a cannabis cigarette before becoming unpleasant.

'Pushed away'

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

Mr Tucker said he fetched 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 his floor before being arrested. He was very contrite and said he loved Mrs Bull and would not intentionally hurt her.

He had been going through a very bizarre, 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.

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. But Mrs Bull did not want him to go to prison and he had no record of violence.

The judge ordered Brookes, of Beech Road, Sidemoor, Bromsgrove, to take part in an anti domestic violence programme run by the probation service.

If he failed to participate, he could expect an alternative sentence of 18 months custody.