Jailed: Knife attacker stabbed friend over flirting jealousy
A knife attacker stabbed a friend in the arm and left it spurting with blood after getting jealous of his flirting with a woman.
Andrew Hirons, 31,who himself had been victim of a knife assault in the past, injured the victim in the arm, leaving him worried it would need amputating after the wound became infected.
The attack happened after Hirons and a female friend he was living with in Donnington went into Telford town centre to do some shopping.
They later bumped into the victim, who happened to be an ex-partner of Hirons’ housemate, and the trio spent the day drinking and socialising.
After the three returned to the home Hirons and his female friend were staying at, Hirons became angry when he saw the other two flirting.
Prosecutor Howard Searle told Shrewsbury Crown Court: “He shouted ‘what are you doing?’ He was angry and brandished a large kitchen knife.
“He started waving it around towards both of them. He stabbed the victim in his lower right arm.”
Hirons left and was later arrested, initially denying any criminal wrongdoing.
Trauma
The victim needed surgery and stayed in hospital for two days.
The complainant, who is autistic, had also been assaulted with a blade on a previous occasion. Mr Searle added that the victim said he got an infection in the wound and was “worried he would lose his arm”. He suffers anxiety as a result of the attack.
Hirons, of Chatsworth Gardens, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.
Curtis Myrie, defending, said the fact Hirons was in a “difficult place emotionally” due to the death of his grandfather, when the attack took place.
Judge Anthony Lowe described Hirons’ pre-sentence reports as “worrying” and that he hangs around with an “anti-social peer group”.
He added: “You know first hand the trauma this would cause.”
He jailed Hirons for two years and issued a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for five years.
