Man stabbed friend at bench after girlfriend dispute

John Garrett has 37 previous convictions for 163 offences

A man left his friend "millimetres" from death when he stabbed him on a park bench in front of schoolchildren, a court heard.

John Garrett knifed David Stoneman four times on the village green in Tiptree, Essex, on 11 July 2023.

The 55-year-old, of Elm Close in the village, admitted wounding with intent and was jailed for 13 and a half years.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Mr Stoneman had defended Garrett's "on-off girlfriend" when he became aggressive towards her that afternoon.

The two men had been drinking alcohol throughout the afternoon.

Prosecutor Dominic Connolly said Mr Stoneman told him to "leave it out" before Garrett then ran up behind the victim and stabbed him in the neck multiple times.

He was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

"These injuries were at least centimetres, if not millimetres, from areas which, if injured, could have caused a fatality," the prosecutor said.

He revealed the victim had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident.

Judge Mary Loram KC also said the victim had been left with difficulties with his speech, swallowing and breathing.

'Sitting duck'

The court heard Garrett also robbed a nearby Shell garage that afternoon and threatened staff with a corkscrew, before making off with two bottles of port.

Police attended his house shortly after the stabbing and arrested him.

Garrett, who has 37 previous convictions for 163 offences, admitted the robbery offence when he appeared at court.

Judge Loram said Mr Stoneman was "a sitting duck and presented no threat at all".

"This was no confrontation gone wrong - you approached him while he was sitting down, not giving him one chance to defend himself," she told Garrett.

The judge added that parents had been walking past at the time of the stabbing, having collected their children from school.

Barry Gilbert, mitigating, said his client had become sober while in prison.

"He has sobered up, calmed down and become much more realistic," the barrister said.

Judge Loram imposed a restraining order banning Garrett from contacting Mr Stoneman indefinitely.

She said Garrett would serve a further four years on licence upon his release from prison.