A man's face was slashed with a piece of glass during a late night brawl in a Margate pizza shop.

Mathew Clarkson has been left permanently scarred and in a statement said he had become very wary of things since the incident in February.

The man who injured him, Leon Sharpe, 21, of Wolverson Close, Willenhall, appeared for sentence at Canterbury Crown Court having admitted wounding Mr Clarkson and was jailed for 18 months.

Denzil Pugh, prosecuting, said Mr Clarkson had been out for the evening with his girlfriend and went into the pizza shop where he and his girlfriend began larking about.

Eventually Sharpe became involved and words were exchanged followed by a flurry of punches.

Mr Clarkson had brought a glass into the shop with him and the glass was smashed during the scuffle. He received a number of cuts to his face and hands from the broken glass and during the grappling Sharpe picked up a shard of glass and cut Mr Clarkson's face.

When arrested he acknowledged being involved in the violence but said he was defending himself. He was adamant he did not deliberatly pick up the glass and use it.

Victoria Weaver, for Sharpe, said there was an element of provocation but he used excessive self defence.

The incident was out of character and he did not intend to cause really serious injury. Words had been exchanged and both parties had been winding each other up.

"He did not go out that evening with any premeditation to get into a fight and is full of remorse for causing what was a horrifying injury which he very much regrets," said Miss Weaver.

She said Sharpe did not shirk his responsibility and was a young man who wanted to better himself. She asked the court to consider a suspended sentence with unpaid work and a thinking skills programme.

Jailing Sharpe, Judge Adele Williams said a great deal had been said on his behalf and she accepted he had showed remorse.