A GWENT man has been cleared of attempting to murder his gay ex-lover by stabbing him in the stomach.

Clifford Morgan pleaded guilty to wounding Paul De Warne with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Morgan, aged 33, of George Street, Pontypool, denied attempting to murder 27-year-old Mr De Warne. The prosecution offered no evidence on this charge and the jury returned a formal not guilty verdict. Defence counsel Stephen Jeary said Mr De Warne had used violence on Morgan in the past. On November 19, during an argument, Mr De Warne became aggressive and went to attack him.

"Morgan feared for his own safety, picked up a knife and brandished it to keep him at bay," said Mr Jeary.

Mr De Warne persisted and in the course of Mr De Warne's attack he was in-jured. The knife penetrated six inches into his abdomen.

Morgan, currently living in a mobile home near Newport, said he accepted that he deliberately lunged at Mr De Warne with a knife to bring the attack to an end.

He said he then immediately called for an ambulance.

Prosecutor Martin Kelly said the caretaker at the flat in George Street, Pontypool, had heard the pair shouting on an intercom.

He said that Mr De Warne had not wanted to proceed against Morgan, who was his "one-time lover."

The victim suffered slashes to the arms, a cut to the top of the head and a wound to the abdomen which required surgery.

"That wound was life-threatening" said Mr Kelly. Sentence was adjourned for probation and psychiatric reports and Morgan was remanded on bail.