A DRUNKEN New Year's Eve reveller has been jailed after biting the hand of a man who helped him up when he stumbled in a bar.

Carl Hudson sank his teeth into a finger and back of the man’s hand when he tried to shake the defendant's hand in Jax Bar in Hartlepool, just after midnight on New Year’s Eve.

The 42-year-old then assaulted a police officer when they were called to the bar to deal with the situation, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Anthony Pettengell, prosecuting, said: “Just after midnight as party poppers were being used and people were cheering the New Year in this defendant came towards him (the victim).”

Hudson went up to the man’s face but fell to the floor. The victim helped him up and put out his hand for Hudson to shake.

Mr Pettengell added: “The defendant grabbed his hand but instead of shaking it he put it into his mouth biting his finger near the knuckle.”

Hudson then left the bar before returning to the bar in the centre of Hartlepool.

At this point he was having to be restrained by a police officer and lashed out with his feet.

Hudson, formerly of Hartlepool, now Queensway, Pontefract, pleaded guilty to assault by beating and assault of an emergency worker.

Caroline Abraham, defending, said was heavily intoxicated at the time of the New Year’s Eve assaults.

Judge Stephen Ashurst jailed Hudson for 18 months and also activated the defendant's suspended sentence for an earlier offence.