Image copyright AP Image caption Dustin Diamond told the court he was defending his fiancee

A former Saved by the Bell actor has been convicted of two charges after a bar fight on Christmas Day last year during which a man was stabbed.

But Dustin Diamond - who played Screech - was cleared of recklessly endangering public safety by a jury in Wisconsin.

Diamond had told the US court he was defending his fiancee and had not meant to stab anyone during the altercation.

The 38-year-old actor was found guilty of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.

He could face up to nine months in prison on the first charge. The second carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in prison.

Bar fight

The fight happened on 25 December in Port Washington, while Diamond was with partner Amanda Schutz.

Image copyright AP

Diamond said a group in the bar wanted to pose for pictures and shake his hand.

But he said others were badgering him and Schutz, and he tried to help her by brandishing his pocketknife to deter the group.

Other witnesses told the court the incident began when Schutz pushed a woman at the bar and grabbed another woman's hand.

Diamond, who as well as his role in the American television sitcom also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in the UK in 2013. told police he may have struck a man with a pen.

The man was not seriously injured.

Schutz was also convicted of disorderly conduct and faces up to 90 days in prison.