Ex-grand prix star Eddie Irvine sentenced to six months in prison after glassing playboy in a bar brawl over a woman Sentenced to six months in prison for nightclub fight with Gabriele Moratti Formula One legend found guilty of assault and battery by court in Milan Playboy Moratti also given six month sentence for punching Irvine Both unlikely to serve jail time due to Italian justice system Punched: Millionaire racing driver Eddie Irvine has been sentenced to six months in prison for a nightclub brawl in Milan over a woman Millionaire racing driver Eddie Irvine has been sentenced to six months in prison for a nightclub brawl in Milan over a woman. Former Formula One legend Irvine, 48, pulled a glass on the son of the former mayor of Milan, and left him with visible injuries over his eye, the court ruled. He was found guilty of assault and battery. The target of his attack, Gabriele Moratti, a renowned playboy, was also found guilty for assault and battery, having launched a hail of punches at Irvine, and was also handed a sentence of six months. Under the Italian justice system both are unlikely to ever see the inside of a jail cell as they are automatically entitled to two appeals. In any case the statute of limitations on the crimes expires in 2015, after which the case will be dropped, unless all appeals have been heard. The quarrel began over a text message sent by the former Ferrari driver to an ex girlfriend of Moratti, named Giorgia, witnesses told the court in Milan. When Moratti entered the VIP area of Milan's Hollywood nightclub, and came across eternal bachelor Irvine talking to the girl he had recently broken up with, he attacked him, punching him three times, a lawyer for Irvine told the court. The Formula One champion, who now runs a property company, a shipping business and works for Virgin Media, claimed he was hit repeatedly from behind by Mr Moratti causing him to black out. Giving evidence at an earlier hearing, the multi-millionaire racing driver said he believed Moratti "was jealous because I sometimes took his ex girlfriend out. He told the court: "I had arrived at the club at about midnight and sat at a table in the VIP area. I was drinking a vodka lemonade and while I was sitting on the sofa talking to Giorgia I was struck with two or three punches by Moratti. I lost my balance and I fell. Someone tried to stop Moratti. I didn't look back because I was afraid he would hit me in the face. Following the brawl, Irvine received threatening phone calls from one of Moratti's associates in his Milan hotel room, he told the court. He said he was left with damage to his ear which prevented him from diving which he had always done easily before the fight. Star: The former Ferrari driver and Formula One champion now runs a property company, a shipping business and works for Virgin Media History: Irvine, left, celebrating with Ferrari engineer Jean Todot, center, and Michael Schumacher, right, after the Argentine Grand Prix in 1998 After the brawl, both men pressed charges against each other for 'assault and battery'. Moratti denied starting the fight and claimed that Irvine was drunk. Irvine was not in court for the sentence but his lawyer confirmed that the racing star plans to lodge an appeal. Moratti was present in court. After the sentence judge Marco Formentin asked the public prosecutor to investigate possible perjury and intimidation by all the witnesses for the Moratti defence who included a waiter and his bodyguard. Celebrations: Eddie Irvine raises his trophy after taking the third place in the 2002 Italian Grand Prix The unexpected addition by the judge led Irvine's lawyer Marco Baroncini to declare the outcome "a partial victory" for Irvine. For Moratti it was not his first brush with the law. In April of last year, he was fined €49,000 after falling foul of planning regulations, when he converted a warehouse in the Milanese suburbs into his personal Batman cave. Irvine, nicknamed Fast Eddie, was arrested in London in 2006 for speeding on a scooter in Hyde Park, without a licence or insurance. The jet set sportsman was a Formula One driver from 1993 to 2001, driving for the Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar teams. The Northern Irish father-of-one, who has a home in Milan as well as properties in Dublin, Miami and New York, has said that driving for Italian team Ferrari was "the best thing that ever happened to him." After his stint at the team he is regarded as a national hero in Italy and says he is set up with free Italian food for life. No restaurant will allow him to pay a bill. Irvine, revealed: 'I still find it astonishing how the Italians react to anyone who has ever driven for Ferrari. 'The moment you sign a deal with the team you aren't just another driver, you become part-Italian - no matter what your nationality. You are given the keys to the country. The Irish driver has an estimated fortune of 90million Euros, though at one time it was said to be as much as Euro200million. In action: The jet set sportsman was a Formula One driver from 1993 to 2001, driving for the Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar teams (pictured)