Mark Lawson , 44 , ( pictured ) was spared jail today after stabbing a colleague with a steak knife in a bizarre argument about onion rings . A pub diner who stabbed a work colleague in the leg with a steak knife in a row over his onion rings was spared jail today . Builder Mark Lawson , 44 , was in The Diamond Tap public house in Newbury , Berkshire for his Christmas party when he agreed that his co-worker Simon Myers could take some chips from his plate . However , when Mr Myers started eating an onion ring , Lawson was angered , shouted at his victim and drove the knife into his thigh . Simon Blackford , for the prosecution , told Reading Crown Court that Lawson had been drinking with his colleagues at the festive party when he ordered a burger , chips and onion rings . He said : 'The defendant ordered a burger and chips and onion rings and some of his colleagues , including Mr Myers , took an onion ring and that gave rise to a somewhat explosive reaction . 'The defendant said `` do n't you come between me and my onion rings '' and there was clearly some talk about that . ' However , one of two colleagues , including Mr Myers then joked about taking more of his onion rings . At that point , Lawson 'reacted in a very loud way ' to what was happening and stabbed Mr Myers with the steak knife he was clutching . The knife tore into Mr Myers 's leg , causing a bloody wound nearly two inches deep , in front of the pub full of horrified onlookers on December 19 last year . Speaking for the defence , John Simmons said that Lawson had been battling a drinking problem and even visited Alcohol Anonymous for a short while to steer clear of the booze . Mr Simmons said Lawson , who lives in Thatcham in Berkshire , had been clean for six months and his decision to drink was a 'one-off ' that he deeply regretted . 'This is an incident that started out as a joke but did n't end up that way ' , he added . 'Before this Christmas party he was almost minded not to attend and now of course regrets the fact he did . 'He has n't drunk from that day to this . ' Lawson 'reacted in a very loud way ' when colleagues , including Mr Myers , stole his onion rings from his plate . Lawson took offence to his work colleagues attempting to steal his onion rings . The court heard Lawson was an exemplary employee who worked six days a week at a construction site at Newbury Racecourse . 'He comes across as an extremely affable , very likeable man , ' said Mr Simmons . 'He is clearly a very hard working man and can not believe how much trouble he has got himself into . He realises he is someone who just can not drink . ' Appealing for a suspended jail sentence , Mr Simmons told the court Lawson had apologised to Mr Myers and the two had been very mature about the unsavoury episode . Recorder Patrick Hamlin accused Lawson of putting his steady job and working life in jeopardy by drinking too much and carrying out the 'bizarre ' attack . 'You were in trouble with the police and the courts quite a lot when you were younger but for the last 20 years you have stayed well clear of trouble , ' he said . 'You have kept a steady job , you are working long hours usually six days a week . You put that all in jeopardy when at a Christmas function last year you drank too much . 'You lost your temper with a fellow employee over a bizarre issue - the stealing or a joke about stealing the onion rings from your plate . You were incensed by that conduct and you stabbed your fellow employee in the leg . ' At a Christmas party last year at the Diamond Tap Wetherspoons in Newbury , Berkshire ( pictured ) , Lawson stabbed his colleague Mr Myers with a steak knife following a row over his onion rings . However Recorder Hamlin spared him jail and sentenced him to a six-month prison sentence suspended for a year as well as a 12-month curfew . ' I am not regarding this as a case , that happens unhappily so often , when someone goes out armed and for a fight , ' he added . 'This is a case where you had a knife in your hand simply to eat your meal . It is an unusual case . You acted out of character . ' He also ordered Lawson to pay £250 in compensation to Mr Myers and £350 towards prosecution costs . Lawson had admitted one count of unlawful wounding , but denied wounding with intent . Recorder Patrick Hamlin told Reading Crown Court ( pictured ) that Lawson put his job in jeopardy when he 'drank too much ' at a Christmas function in December last year .
Simon Lawson had asked Mark Myers if he could have some of his chips . Myers agreed , but reacted angrily when Mr Lawson took onion ring instead . Incident , that started as a joke , took place at the work Christmas party . Myers was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for a year .