An East Sussex man has been jailed for two years after slashing a cafe owner's face with a knife.

Adrian Elms, 35, left Piers Mott with an 8cm gash on his left cheek after the row in the Crown and Thistle pub on July 16 this year.

A court heard there were "racial overtones" to the argument and that Elms' family had now been ostracised in their village.

Elms, from Northiam, near Rye - one of only two black men living there at the time - attacked Mr Mott after a row in their local on a Sunday afternoon.

Hove Crown Court heard that Elms had been in conflict with his victim before.

He admitted charges of unlawful wounding and criminal damage.

Elms, of Hastings Road, Northiam, lost his temper in the row and slashed seat covers in Mr Mott's car after leaving the pub, the court was told.

When Mr Mott arrived at the car, Elms waved the knife at him and caught his face, leaving him needing more than 20 stitches.

Lindsay Burn, prosecuting, said: "The wound was bleeding quite profusely."

The court heard that Elms had the knife because he had been decorating his daughter's room at their house. He had drunk four pints of beer during the afternoon.

Alexander Taylor-Camara, defending, said: "When the defendant moved to the local area it was to try to give his family and himself a better and more tranquil way of life.

"The majority of people seemed to get on well with them but there was a problem with this man. Things got out of hand on this particular day.

"There were racial overtones in the argument between himself and the victim. He let that get to him - unusually, because in the past he has been able to shrug off that sort of abuse.

"He lost his temper and decided to take it out on this gentleman's vehicle. But in one movement the knife came into contact with the victim's face.

"His wife and family have now become ostracised in the village. It is a very small community and his wife and family have been extremely affected by this.

"He will effectively have to move his family from the village and start to live his life all over again. It will leave the village with a view of black people in the area. The trust that may have been there in the beginning is now completely lost.

"He does deeply regret this incident ever arising and expresses remorse for what he has done."

Judge Charles Kemp sentenced Elms to a total of two years in prison.

Commenting on the row between the victim and Elms, Judge Kemp said: "While it doesn't afford any excuse for your behaviour it may afford some degree of explanation."