Saved By the Bell actor Dustin Diamond convicted

Actor Dustin Diamond who played the character ‘Screech’ in TV show Saved By The Bell was convicted of two charges stemming from a fight in a bar, but a Wisconsin jury cleared him of the most serious count.

The jury’s verdict came just hours after the 38-year-old actor testified that he never intended to stab anyone in the fight last Christmas Day.

He had pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of recklessly endangering public safety, plus two lesser misdemeanours — carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.

Diamond said some people had wanted to shake his hand and pose for photos at the bar, but that others were badgering him and his girlfriend, Amanda Schutz.

He said he was trying to scare bar patrons in Port Washington after his girlfriend was punched in the face.

“I felt like we were being set up for antagonistic purposes,” he said.

Witnesses testified that Schutz pushed one woman at the bar and grabbed another woman’s hand, initiating the incident. Schutz also faces a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.

Diamond said he tried to help Schutz and took out his pocketknife to deter the group from hurting her more.

The man who was stabbed, 25-year-old Casey Smet, testified on Thursday that he did not know he had been stabbed until he had left the bar and was talking to police.

After maintaining a serious facade during most of the trial, Diamond grinned yesterday when a defence lawyer asked if he liked being compared to the character Screech.

Diamond said he, like his character, enjoyed nerdy things, and that he liked being identified in public as the goofy television character.

“That means they love you,” Diamond said. “That means you’re doing your job.”

Port Washington is 30kms north of Milwaukee.