A DISABLED man, paralysed from the waist down after a car crash, lashed out and slashed a friend in the face with a bread knife after he was held captive in his own home.

Wheelchair-bound Craig Taylor was "powerless" to defend himself against a gang of "so-called" friends, who had locked him in his Banbury flat, Oxford Crown Court was told on Friday.

The 21-year-old had been drinking with friends at his McKeevor Place home on June 23 when Spencer Hancock turned up after consuming seven pints of lager at a nearby pub.

At about 10.30pm someone decided to lock the door "as a prank", and Taylor felt his house guests were starting to overstay their welcome, Neil Moore, prosecuting, said.

Feeling threatened, Taylor grabbed a bread knife and began waving it around at several people, including a girl called Kim.

When Mr Hancock intervened, he was slashed in the face by Taylor, who admitted wounding with intent but maintained that he did not mean to hurt him.

Mr Hancock needed 16 stitches for a cut to his face and Taylor was later arrested and remanded in custody.

Terence Woods, defending, said Taylor lashed out because no-one was paying any attention to his requests to leave. Judge Julian Hall sentenced Taylor to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay Mr Hancock £2,500 compensation.

He said: "You have got yourself into bad company and you drink too much. Some idiot locked you in and everybody was drunk. You couldn't do anything about it and you rang your brother in law for help.

"If you were able bodied I would send you to prison for two years."