THE father of former Saints star Wayne Bridge was slashed in the face in a horrific knife attack, a court has heard.

Heroin addict Andrew Stacey attacked Michael Bridge, whose son moved from Saints to Chelsea last month for £7 million, when the footballer's dad called at his house to confront him over his wife Wendy's stolen handbag.

Stacey, 36, was jailed for two years at Winchester Crown Court after admitting unlawful wounding.

Sentencing, Judge Patrick Hooton said: "In a situation like that if something went wrong, you might have ended up facing a murder charge."

The court heard that Mr Bridge, 52, of Sparrowgrove, Otterbourne, was drinking with friends at the New Queens Head in Stanmore Lane.

His wife, Wendy, 46, feared her bag had been stolen by Stacey and so Mr Bridge and some friends went round to his house in Battery Hill, Stanmore, to confront him, said Carl Harrison, prosecuting.

The door was answered by Stacey's 15-year-old stepdaughter who became scared when the men started shouting and banging on the door.

The hysterical teenager, who was looking after a number of younger children, called her parents and they quickly got a taxi home, said Mr Harrison.

Stacey, a former tyre fitter, confronted Mr Bridge, formerly of Walpole Road, Stanmore, when the star's dad started knocking at the side door.

He grabbed Mr Bridge's throat and held a large vegetable knife, said Mr Harrison. After quickly struggling free, Mr Bridge found he was covered in blood with small cuts to his throat, chin and hands.

The court heard that Stacey was arrested by police the day after the incident on New Year's Eve.

Nicholas Tucker, mitigating, said Stacey acted because he believed his wife and children were in danger.

Mr Tucker said Stacey was depressed following the death of his infant son earlier that year. He was helping his wife who was still grieving and that New Year's Eve was the first night out they had had together for a long time.

"Therefore it may in some way explain his explosive reaction when it all went wrong," he said.

Stacey and his wife, Rita, were both on methadone at the time and the court heard that Stacey had abstained from using heroin for 18 months.

Judge Hooton said: "I take into account the situation in which you found yourself. It may be that you thought your children and wife were under threat. I have no doubt they were not.

"The really serious aspect of this is taking a large knife outside and hanging onto Mr Bridge even for a short time."