A man who left a 54-year-old St Patrick's Day reveller fearing for his life after stabbing him in the neck with a bottle has been jailed for two years.

Ricky Burke launched the attack when his victim shouted back as he and a friend mocked him for the oversized Guinness he was wearing for the festivities.

And after leaving Malvern Griffin seriously injured, and bleeding in the street, the 28-year-old sauntered back to his friend and said 'I stabbed him in the cheek with this bottle'.

Meanwhile, Mr Griffin flagged down a passing cabby and was found lying in the middle of the road in a blood-soaked shirt screaming ‘Help, I’m going to die’.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the victim had been out at the Albany Palace in Trowbridge town centre on Saturday, March 17.

He said he was walking along The Downs at about 2.45am when two men coming the other way started making comments about his headwear.

A witness said he heard the victim swearing at the men before Burke said 'That's your last chance' and launched the attack.

Mr Meeke said he swung a punch at him, striking him with the beer bottle that was in his hand, which smashed on impact.

The court heard although there was a suggestion the bottle may have been broken against a wall before being used it was felt there insufficient evidence to prove it.

Burke walked off leaving Mr Griffin lying in the street bleeding so heavily one witness feared he had lost two litres of blood.

An ambulance was called by a passing taxi driver and the victim had to undergo surgery with a general anaesthetic to repair the damage to a vein.

After CCTV footage of the attack was released Burke, of Brislington, Bristol, handed himself in and said he had been involved in 'an altercation'. He pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful wounding.