Jason Hutchinson

An irate neighbour lost his temper and stabbed a man because he was angry when water bombs had been thrown at his freshly cleaned windows, a court has heard.

Jason Hutchinson, 36, has been jailed for four years after stabbing Liam Hilton with a stanley knife in a row that had been brewing all day.

Preston Crown Court heard Hutchinson, of The Crescent, Bamber Bridge, had been staying at his girlfriend’s house in Ribbleton when he fell out with a neighbour on June 22.

Hanifa Patel, prosecuting, told the court Hutchinson had been doing DIY on the property and had spent the previous day cleaning the outside windows.
When he discovered water bombs had been thrown he started arguing with Mr Hilton, with bad feeling continuing throughout the day.

Shortly before 8pm Mr Hilton returned home to discover there had been further trouble while he had been out.

He shouted to Hutchinson that he wanted to speak to him, and 10 minutes later, Hutchinson appeared, with his right hand in his pocket and grinning.

A scuffle broke out and Mr Hilton was struck so hard he thought he had been attacked with a knuckle duster.

But as he fell to his knees he realised blood was gushing out of his side and he had been stabbed.

Hutchinson went to his uncle’s house where he called the police and confessed he had stabbed someone.

Mr Hilton was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where he underwent surgery for the gaping wound, which had perforated his diaphragm.

Anthony Parkinson, defending, said Hutchinson’s anger at his work being damaged, coupled with the cans of Guinness he had consumed, contributed to the incident.

Hutchinson pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article.

Judge Christopher Cornwall, sentencing, said: “What you did that evening was unforgivable. You yourself have said this was an awful crime.

“There had been a day of mounting tension between you and Mr Hilton, matters came to head around 8pm.

“It is only by the greatest good fortune both for Mr Hilton and yourself that you didn’t cause even more serious harm.”

He jailed Hutchinson for four years with 12 months to run concurrently for possession of the knife.