A knifeman who slashed his former friend after being accused of stealing his bike has been jailed.
Serial shop thief Gary Pickering took umbrage at being accused of pinching the pedal bike and lashed out with a kitchen knife when the victim came to his door in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. A court heard he lunged at him with the knife in a swiping motion, cutting his hand and finger.
Now the 50-year-old crack cocaine addict, who also admitted stealing meat and razor blades worth hundreds of pounds, has been locked up for 22 months at Newcastle Crown Court.
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Sentencing him, Judge Christopher Prince said: "He was of the view you had stolen his bike and you said you had not done that. He came to your door and accused you of taking the bike.
"You answered the door and said you had not taken his bike. Your manner changed, you became aggressive and were shouting and screaming.
"You produced a large kitchen knife and repeatedly lunged at him in an attempt to stab him, swiping the knife towards his torso and stomach. He put his hand across his stomach to defend himself and the knife slashed his knuckle and a further slice cut his finger.
"You were shouting 'come on then, come on then." Police later attended his home and found him hiding and recovered the weapon.
In a victim impact statement, the man, who volunteers at a local church, said the attack had disrupted his life and said he will be "looking over his shoulder" while going about his business.
Pickering, of Kearsley Close, Seaton Delaval, who has a long list of previous convictions for shop theft, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and having a bladed article. He also admitted six counts of shop theft - stealing meat and razor blades worth more than £800.
The court heard the thefts were to fund his drug habit but Judge Prince said that could not be used as a "blanket excuse" for his offending.
