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| Father faces jail for finger-biting attack at school nativity play | Father faces jail for finger-biting attack at school nativity play |
| (17 days later) | |
| A father who admitted biting off part of another man's finger at a children's nativity play has been told a jail sentence is almost inevitable. | A father who admitted biting off part of another man's finger at a children's nativity play has been told a jail sentence is almost inevitable. |
| Lee Wilkinson, 40, attacked Michael Dent at Harton primary school in South Shields, South Tyneside, last December following a feud between the two men. | Lee Wilkinson, 40, attacked Michael Dent at Harton primary school in South Shields, South Tyneside, last December following a feud between the two men. |
| He pleaded guilty at Newcastle crown court on Tuesday to unlawful wounding and to a separate public order offence relating to an incident last Christmas Eve. | He pleaded guilty at Newcastle crown court on Tuesday to unlawful wounding and to a separate public order offence relating to an incident last Christmas Eve. |
| He will be sentenced on 25 January and was granted bail. The judge, Simon Hickey, said: "Custody is almost inevitable." Dent was not in court for the brief hearing. | He will be sentenced on 25 January and was granted bail. The judge, Simon Hickey, said: "Custody is almost inevitable." Dent was not in court for the brief hearing. |
| Wilkinson was originally charged with more serious offences but Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said the pleas to these lesser counts were acceptable. | Wilkinson was originally charged with more serious offences but Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said the pleas to these lesser counts were acceptable. |
| "There is somewhat a complex background to the case," he said. "It is accepted that Mr Dent has too been cautioned in respect of assaults on the defendant Mr Wilkinson. Obviously matters came to a head at the nativity play a year ago." | "There is somewhat a complex background to the case," he said. "It is accepted that Mr Dent has too been cautioned in respect of assaults on the defendant Mr Wilkinson. Obviously matters came to a head at the nativity play a year ago." |
| Further details of the fight on 6 December 2011 were not given in court. After the attack last year, Dent told reporters he had an ongoing feud with Wilkinson over a woman. Wilkinson had been in a relationship with Dent's former wife, and trouble boiled over at the nativity play. | Further details of the fight on 6 December 2011 were not given in court. After the attack last year, Dent told reporters he had an ongoing feud with Wilkinson over a woman. Wilkinson had been in a relationship with Dent's former wife, and trouble boiled over at the nativity play. |
| It was not thought that any children witnessed the fight, as it happened while they were preparing for the play elsewhere in the school. Dent said he lost the tip of the little finger on his left hand in the incident. | It was not thought that any children witnessed the fight, as it happened while they were preparing for the play elsewhere in the school. Dent said he lost the tip of the little finger on his left hand in the incident. |
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