Man who stabbed friend with butcher's knife jailed

The incident occurred on the Cliftonville Road in April 2022

A man who stabbed his former friend in the abdomen "five to 10 times" with a butcher's knife has been given a nine-and-a-half year sentence.

The injured party lost a kidney after the "unprovoked" stabbing which happened in north Belfast in April 2022.

Anthony James Harrison, 32, of Hillside View, Newtownabbey was sentenced for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Belfast Crown Court heard on Wednesday that he will spend half of his term in prison and the other on license.

Oil burner thrown

Co-accused Jamie Andrew Parke, of Rosemount Gardens in Belfast, threw an oil-burner at the injured party's head before the stabbing.

The 31-year-old was handed a two year sentence, suspended for three years.

The court heard that the injured party was attached at about 16:30 on 18 April 2022 as he walked along the Cliftonville Road.

At that time, Parke lived at an apartment on the road and both he and Harrison had been drinking in the property.

After seeing the injured party on the street, Harrison left with a knife concealed up his sleeve and confronted him.

He then placed his bicycle between him and Harrison in a bid to defend himself.

Parke then left his flat, and threw a ceramic oil burner from the communal hallway at the injured party, which struck him on the forehead and broke his skin.

'Full force' attack

He then ran a short distance to behind a tree, and was followed by Harrison who produced a knife.

The injured party was then stabbed in the abdomen "with full force" between five and 10 times with what witnesses described as a butcher's knife, the court heard.

The two accused them ran away while members of the public attempted to stem the bleeding and administered first aid.

In the ambulance to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, he named Harris as the attacker.

As a result, the injured party lost a kidney and had to have part of his intestines removed.

He remained on life support and a ventilator for a period before being discharged over a month later on 31 May 2022.

A Crown barrister said whilst Harrison and the injured party knew each other, Parke "had never met him before" and was unaware Harrison had a knife.

He added it was accepted that Parke did not intend to cause the injured party serious harm, nor did he "intend to assist or encourage Mr Harrison to stab the injured party."

Branding the injuries he suffered as "very significant", the prosecutor said "they are likely to have a life-long impact" and have resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Arrests

After the attack, witnesses saw Parke, who had 12 previous criminal convictions, entering his flat.

He was arrested later that evening and refused to answer questions during a police interview.

Harrison, who has 74 previous convictions and had initially fled the scene, was arrested the next day after approaching police on the Cliftonville Road and said: "I'm the one you're looking for."

During his interview he gave a mixture of "no comment" responses, and provided an alibi.

Both Parke and Harrison later admitted their guilt.

'Out of character'

A defence barrister for Harrison said he was "remorseful" for what happened and accepts he was "in the wrong". He said his actions were also labelled as being "out of character".

The barrister also told the court Harrison had an extremely difficult childhood and wanted to turn his life around.

Parke's barrister said he had been acting in defence by throwing the oil burner as he felt Harrison was under attack.

The barrister added the pair had been drinking and the offences arose "spontaneously".

Attack 'unprovoked'

Jailing Harrison, the judge told him the attack was "unprovoked and sustained" and that he acted with an "indifference to the seriousness of the injuries" he inflicted.

The judge added: "Such were your actions that it is fortunate indeed that the injured party survived. At his young age, he has suffered life-changing injuries."

Due to Harrison contacting the injured party in August 2022 and threatening him to drop the charge, an indefinite restraining order which banned him from contacting his former friend was also imposed.

Parke had a five-year restraining order imposed and was warned of the consequences of re-offending over the next three years.