A man with a facination for knives and a mother-of-four were behind the stabbing of a man at a bus stop. The victim saw drug addicts John Lambert and Raella Parkinson by chance near Tesco, Mansfield, on July 8 last year, before he was viciously knifed seven times.
The man reminded Lambert about £30 he owed him for a ring and took his arm to get his attention. But Lambert stabbed him repeatedly in his side, leaving him doubling over in pain, in Jubilee Way South, near the retail park, Mansfield.
Parkinson said she was "sorry" before she stabbed him in his back and buttock. She stabbed him once again when he was on the floor.
Both of them left him there but two brave young boys came to his aid. One of the boys was commended by Judge Mark Watson and awarded £350 from central funds for keeping, "such a level head", at the gruesome scene.
The victim described his, "life being a mess", since the incident, Nottingham Crown Court heard. He has horrendous scars on his body he has to live with. Two stab wounds were inflicted to the back of his shoulder blade, two to his buttocks and two to his torso.
He spent seven days in hospital after his colon was cut and his lung collapsed twice. After surgery to his colon, he was left with a long surgical scar.
Both defendants, of Mappleton Drive, Mansfield, were sentenced on Tuesday, April 12, after they were found guilty of wounding with intent after trial at Nottingham Crown Court on November 26 last year. Lambert, 41, received eight years in custody and an extended licence period of four years.
Judge Watson told him his pre-sentence report explained he had a fascination with knives. He accepted this was a, "spontaneous assault", because he did not know he was going to meet the victim. But he rejected it was Lambert's perceived view what happened was necessary in self-defence.
Lambert has previous convictions for assault, causing bodily harm, and wounding in the context of a prison mutiny, and for having bladed articles. Mitigating, Katrina Wilson said Lambert had now admitted his involvement. She said he was someone, "who has lived a life of many tragedies". His childhood was around drugs.
He lived in Skegness with a drug-addicted partner who was the mother of his children. She later died of an overdose, explained Miss Wilson. Lambert's mother, who he had described, "as a rock", died suddenly from a heart attack.
Lambert carried a knife for protection after he was suffered a fractured skull and bleed on the brain after an attack, involving another drugs user, in 2015.
Parkinson, 43, was jailed for five-and-half years. Judge Watson said her previous convictions indicated somebody with long-term drug abuse. He accepted she followed the lead of Lambert.
"You inflicted your injuries after your co-accused assaulted your victim," he said. "Your returned when he was on the floor and stabbed him one final time".
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