A man has escaped a prison sentence for his part in a fight in which a former friend died.

Adrian Ede died after he was stabbed twice by Alison Walder as he fought her boyfriend Lewis Martindale.

Walder ran barefoot from the home she and Martindale shared in Parsons Close, Angmering, brandishing a kitchen knife.

Walder, 22, stabbed the victim twice in the shoulder and punctured a lung.

Mr Ede, 29, from Littlehampton, died soon afterwards from his injuries.

Mother-of-three Walder was jailed for life after a jury found her guilty of murdering him.

She will have to serve a minimum of 12 years.

Martindale was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence when he appeared at Hove Crown Court for sentence yesterday.

Richard Barton, prosecuting, said Martindale was found guilty of affray at the end of the couple's trial at Lewes Crown Court earlier this month.

During the trial the jury heard that both men were good friends until they fell out a few weeks before the fatal fight on September 15 last year.

Martindale reported a Ford Orion stolen on July 29 last year and Mr Ede was arrested but never charged.

He accused Martindale of "grassing" on him to the police, the court heard.

On the night of the stabbing, Mr Ede and a group of friends were at a house three doors away from Martindale and Walder's home.

As they left, Mr Ede saw Martindale standing in the doorway and taunted him, which led to the street clash. Stephen Ferguson, defending, said Martindale had been left devastated by what had happened and was remorseful.

He said the trainee mechanic wanted to care for Walder's two children and their 22-month-old daughter with the help of his mother.

Mr Ferguson added the background to the incident meant there were exceptional circumstances which would allow a suspended sentence to be imposed.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall told Martindale: "I accept that Mr Ede was provoking you to fight but to a lesser degree you were retaliating and seeking to challenge him.

"The consequences of your fight with him led to the involvement of Alison Walder.

"It is fights such as these which can sometimes result in such dreadful consequences, namely, the murder of Mr Ede in full public view.

"I understand that you have been traumatised by that but you have only yourself to blame."