Houghton-le-Spring thug left man 'inches from death' after stabbing him with broken bottle
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveA thug left a man "inches from death" after stabbing him in the neck with shards from a broken bottle after "making a mountain out of a mole hill".
Graham Nesbitt had been drinking with his upstairs neighbour and the man's friend when he saw red over something trivial that was said. Newcastle Crown Court heard Nesbitt picked up an empty glass bottle and hit his neighbour over the head with it around three or four times.
The bottle did not break during the initial attack but the man's scalp was left with wounds. When the neighbour's friend stood up and said "stop it", Nesbitt turned the violence in his direction and used the bottle to hit him, which broke and showered him in glass. The thug then jabbed the broken remains of the bottle into the man's neck.
Judge Julie Clemitson said: "He panicked, his ears were still ringing, he was scared to say anymore. He was dazed and holding his neck."
The court heard Nesbitt left the flat, with one of the victims' bank cards that he used to withdraw cash. The court heard the two victims tried to clean themselves up and then slept but woke up "covered in blood".
After the stab victim's neck began to swell and he struggled to speak, he went to hospital. Judge Clemitson said: "He was admitted and operated on to remove six pieces of glass from his neck. Those pieces were removed from between his carotid artery and larynx. His thyroid artery was damaged and bleeding into his neck."
The court heard he spent time in intensive care and said in an impact statement he is "haunted" by what happened and added: "I was inches away from death due to where in the throat I was stabbed." He said he has been left scarred and suffering flashbacks.
The neighbour, who had lacerations to his head and behind his ear, had stitches to close the wounds.
Nesbitt, 48, of Avondale Avenue, Houghton-le-Spring, who has convictions for violence on his record, denied two charges of wounding with intent but was found guilty by a jury after a trial. He admitted theft and fraud in relation to the use of the bank card.
Judge Clemitson sentenced him to 11 years with a four year extended licence period and told him: "This was an explosion of violence in drink, sparked by something very minor and you lost complete control of your temper.
"You do, in my view, pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to others by the commission of further violent offences and are therefore a dangerous offender." Nesbitt was issued with a restraining order to keep him away from both victims for life.
Shada Mellor, defending, said Nesbitt maintains his innocence, has health problems and has been working hard in prison.
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