A thug stabbed a sixth form student after flying into a rage at a party.
Connor Kelly had only recently been handed a suspended sentence when he attacked his victim at a party in Wirral earlier this year.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the 22-year-old had an argument with his ex before taking a knife and lunging at his victim, an A-level student who had done nothing to provoke him.
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Neil Bisarya, prosecuting, said that as far as the victim was concerned there was little build up to the stabbing at a house in Barnston on May 14. The victim was one of a number of guests there - and Kelly was also at the house trying to speak to his ex-girlfriend after their recent break up.
Mr Bisarya said Kelly became "agitated and aggressive" after an argument with her and came into the kitchen and began screaming at people to leave before grabbing a knife. Mr Bisarya said: "The knife was raised and he was pointing it at various people.
"At this point the complainant had got up and tried to leave. The defendant came forward and lunged the knife at him towards his stomach. The complainant put his arms up to defend himself and the knife cut across the bottom of his ring finger, causing injury."
The victim was left with a puncture wound to his left hand. He was taken to hospital but was discharged after receiving treatment that included sutures and a tetanus injection. In a statement to the court, the boy said the attack had left him anxious and more fearful of going out.
It also impacted his preparations for the culmination of his A-level assessments, which happened in the weeks after the attack.
Kelly fled after the attack but was quickly arrested. Despite his age, Kelly has a slew of convictions including one each for robbery, battery and assaulting an emergency worker. He had only recently been handed a suspended sentence for arson just prior to the incident at the party.
John Keane, defending, said Kelly now appreciated the harm that could have been caused by the incident and said it was fortunate that the boy did not have long term injuries. Mr Keane said: “There was a three centimetre laceration. Fortunately there was no injury to the tendons and doctors indicate the hand is still capable of a full range of motion."
Judge David Aubrey QC said Kelly's actions could easily have caused a fatal injury. He said: "I accept that the attack was short lived but in my judgement that matters little when you had that weapon, a knife of some eight inches."
Judge Aubrey continued: "You are fortunate this did not extend to something far more serious."
Kelly, of HMP Altcourse was jailed for two years for the knife attack. His six month suspended sentence from the arson conviction was activated and he will serve that consecutively.
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