A 60-year-old man has been jailed for 59 months for stabbing a friend in the neck after the victim had allowed him to do laundry at his home and bought him food. Robert Tait, of White Acre, West Woodburn, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent at Newcastle Crown Court.
Attack in victim's home
The court heard that Tait, a former fishery manager, had been living in a caravan with basic facilities after separating from his wife. The victim, a man in his 50s, lived nearby and allowed Tait to use his washing machine. On November 18 last year, Tait went to the victim's home to do laundry. Both men had been drinking alcohol.
Prosecutor Emma Dowling said Tait recalled seeing his hands and arms covered in blood. The victim, who cannot remember the attack, called 999. He had suffered two knife wounds to his neck, a fractured nose, bruising to his eye and cheekbone, and cuts to his chest and finger.
Aftermath and sentence
Tait fled and went to his wife's home, saying he needed to see his daughter because he thought he had killed someone. He told her he had thrown clothes and a kitchen knife in the river. His daughter called police, and Tait was arrested. Officers found a large quantity of blood in the victim's kitchen, with blood pooled on a cooker hob and floor.
In a victim impact statement, the man said he now has PTSD and is not the person he used to be. He said: "I have extreme anxiety. I don't have the answers for why this happened so there is no closure for me."
Judge Edward Bindloss told Tait: "This was a violent attack that could have had fatal consequences. Injuries with a knife to people's necks leads, on occasions, to their death. Thankfully he did not die." Tait was also given a ten-year restraining order.
