Dustin Diamond, best known for his role as Screech on the 1990s television show, Saved By the Bell, apologized on Thursday after taking part in a stabbing in a Wisconsin barroom, which resulted in his being sentenced to serve four months in jail.

The judge presiding over his case, Judge Paul Malloy, also sentenced Diamond to a total of fifteen months' probation and ordered him to report to jail on Sunday.

Diamond was convicted earlier this month on two misdemeanor counts after the fight which took place on Christmas Day.

Diamond seemed to be emotional about the sentence, and left the courtroom without making any comment on what took place.

The actor, who is thirty eight years old, was cleared of a felony charge last month after a three day long trial with a jury.

The jury did find him guilty, however, of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.

Judge Malloy stated that the sentence "has to send a message to the community that we're just not going to live like this."

The actor admitted to jurors that he did take a knife out, but said that he was trying to ward off people including a woman who punched his girlfriend.

He then claimed that he stabbed a man by accident during the altercation. "I sincerely apologize to everyone involved," said Diamond at the hearing on Thursday. "This was the single most terrifying experience of my life...this is all I've been able to think about for the last six months."

Witness testified that Diamond's girlfriend, Amanda Schutz, pushed a woman at the bar and grabbed the hand of another woman, thus instigating the bar fight.