A teenager who was found with a flick knife shortly after a man was slashed across the neck in Great Yarmouth has been jailed.

Donatas Jasmontas was initially accused of wounding Martyn Greenwood, who was attacked on Nelson Road North on August 9 this year.

But Norwich Crown Court heard on Tuesday that subsequent forensic analysis had failed to associate the 19-year-old with the attack.

As a result, prosecutor Martin Ivory told the court that a charge of wounding with intent, which Jasmontas had pleaded not guilty to, would be dropped.

Instead, he was sentenced for being in possession of a knife in a public place, which he admitted to at a previous hearing.

Mr Ivory said police conducting a search of the town following the attack found the defendant in possession of a 'three to four-inch' flick knife.

He was also found with blood on his hands and clothes, the court heard.

But Mr Ivory said the complainant had failed to pick the defendant out in an identity parade, and that there was no DNA evidence on the knife.

David Stewart, mitigating, said Jasmontas was heavily intoxicated at the time and claimed he found the knife in a bush.

He said on the 'rare occasions' where the defendant had consumed alcohol, it 'had led to problems' in the past.

But he said Jasmontas, of Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, lived with his family and had been employed as an electrician.

The court heard how Jasmontas was in breach of a suspended sentence for being in possession of a knife.

He has five convictions for 10 offences.

Judge Stephen Holt said: 'You are only 19 years old, but you are building up quite a record.'

He said forensic analysis of the knife and Jasmontas' clothing had 'failed to associate' him with the attack.

'It was not his [Mr Greenwood's] DNA and your DNA was not found on him.

'None the less, carrying a knife in public is a very serious matter.'

Judge Holt sentenced Jasmontas to 44 weeks at a young offenders' institution.