Paul Taylor lashed out when he was woken from a drunken slumber by Steven Fionda hitting him with the weapon.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Fionda was disarmed – and then left unconscious by Taylor's brutal retaliation.

Mr Fionda was taken to intensive care, but is believed to have made a full recovery since.

The court heard the attack happened on January 1, when both men had been at a drinking session with others at a house in Hebburn.

Taylor, 35, of Anne Street, Hebburn, admitted unlawful wounding.

He also admitted perverting the course of justice by giving a false name when he was arrested.

His barrister, John Wilkinson, told the court: "Mr Taylor always accepted he, having been struck, took the hammer off the complainant and hit him back with it.

"We now know there was two blows from the hammer, and three blows from his fists, a total of five in all.

"It was self-defence, but it was self-defence gone too far, he has always accepted that.

"Trouble came to him. He was lying there asleep, drunk as he was.

"He accepts he over-reacted, and accepts he is going to have to be punished for it."

Mr Wilkinson said Taylor is an otherwise intelligent man, who has a clear problem with alcohol.

Judge Beatrice Bolton sentenced Taylor, who has previous convictions for drunken violence and was the subject of an Asbo at the time, to 21 months behind bars.

The judge said: "I accept you appear to have been asleep when your victim decided to hit you over the head with a hammer twice.

"You took the hammer off him and completely lost your temper.

"It is clear it has been on the cards for some time that you would lose your temper with someone.

"You nearly killed this man, all because when you are drinking you lose all inhibitions."