THE owner of a Chinese takeaway suffered a cut finger and had hot oil spilt over his hand when he tried to pacify a cook in the kitchen of his takeaway, Southampton Crown Court heard.

Uproar broke out when two cooks clashed over the way orders should be processed.

A judge heard the row escalated when Ray Dilworth threw a punch at Yuchiu Wong who retaliated in similar fashion but missed.

Prosecutor Rod Blain said Wong grabbed a cleaver in the preparation area in The Peony in West End and waved it around.

The owner, known as Joe, intervened but in disarming the chef, cut a finger.

Wong however picked up a saucepan and scooped up hot oil from a deep fat fryer.

Again ‘Joe’ stepped in and, in the struggle, some of the oil spilt on to his hand and also on the floor.

The drama ended when a delivery driver took Wong, who had previously owned the takeaway, outside.

The court heard that as a result of the fracas, the takeaway had to close early with the loss of hundreds of pounds worth of business.

Wong, 58, of Seaton Close, West End, admitted affray.

He received a 12 month community order and was told to pay his victim £1,000 compensation for his injury and loss of business that night.

He must also observe a curfew from 2am-2pm for six weeks and pay a £60 victim surcharge.

Recorder Peter Towler told the father-of-three: “I am satisfied this was completely out of character and there is a very minimal risk of you re-offending.”

Stephen Tricker, defending, said Wong had lost his temper in a highly charged atmosphere.

“Things escalated out of control, it wasn’t planned but spontaneous and quickly over.”