Northfleet father-of-three jailed after stabbing man with pair of scissors

Daniel Baker, 22, of Cygnet Gardens, chased his victim before impaling him in the street just 50 yards from his own home on March 19.

With his T-shirt soaked in blood, the stab victim Daniel Fearne was able to reach his house and explain to his terrified girlfriend that he thought he had been stabbed in the heart.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how Mr Fearne told his girlfriend, "make them hurry up. I feel like I'm dying," as she called an ambulance.

Mr Fearne was found pale and unresponsive after suffering the single stab wound.

Baker lived in Cygnet Gardens

The jury heard on Wednesday (July 27) that when police arrived, blood was covered over the floor, walls, door and outside steps.

Prosecutor John Fitzgerald told the court the pair had known each other for 15 years and that there was on an ongoing feud between them.

The attack started after Mr Fearne walked past the Baker home "tipsy", the judge was told.

He and Baker started shouting and swearing at each other with several members of the Baker family joining against Mr Fearne’s "returning fire".

Baker then went into his house and returned armed with scissors.

Believing it was a knife, Mr Fearne fled, only for Baker and his 19-year-old brother, Connor, to give chase into Lawrance Square - Connor was unarmed.

The prosecution said: “He turned to face the brothers.

“At that point he was stabbed in the chest by Daniel Baker.

“He described it as feeling like a tap to the chest."

Neither of the brothers said anything, the court was told, but Mr Fearne said Baker looked "so angry" before the pair ran home.

Baker claimed he grabbed the scissors after Mr Fearne threatened him with a broken bottle.

"He reacted while trying to protect his family while being threatened with a broken bottle," said Adrian Rohard, defending.

"Where he went wrong was he continued to chase Mr Fearne.

“If he hadn't chased after him he wouldn't be here today."

The judge told Baker Mr Fearne could have died if it hadn’t been for his medical treatment.

Baker was expelled from school at 14 and has previous convictions for assault, battery and possession of an offensive weapon.

Mr Fearne was chased into Lawrance Square

He pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and having an offensive weapon.

His brother Connor admitted affray and was given a 12-month community order and 120 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £500 court costs.

Passing sentence, Judge Julian Smith said it was clear there was tension between the two men and Mr Fearne "certainly played his role".

However, he added the stabbing with the scissors was not spontaneous.

"It was clearly deliberate, a penetrating wound to the chest, and caused a very significant injury indeed," said Judge Smith.

"The medical treatment he received was crucial.

“The impact was immediate and dramatic, it was life-threatening."

Connor Baker's involvement was, said the judge, "in a different category" and more to do with "hot-headedness".

But he added his behaviour was "excessive, threatening and violent".

Baker had previous convictions for assault, battery and possession of an offensive weapon (c.) Facebook

The court heard there was no victim impact statement from Mr Fearne but he had spent more than a week in King's College Hospital, London, where a chest drain was inserted and several blood transfusions carried out to save his life.