A MAN who slashed his neighbour’s boyfriend with a kitchen knife after earlier threatening her with a cricket bat wrapped in barbed wire has been given an extended prison sentence.

Bradford Crown Court heard that David Stead, 31, became enraged after a woman moved in next door to his flat in Hall Lane, Shipley, in February.

Prosecutor Catherine Duffy told the court that while moving in on February 26, the woman and her boyfriend angered Stead by playing loud music, leading to him knock on their door to complain armed with the cricket bat.

Both parties later apologised, but on March 6, Stead again went to his neighbour’s flat after hearing the man making threats on his mobile phone.

When the woman answered the door, the defendant said “I need to see your boyfriend”, before pulling two knives from his waistband. He swung at the man, slashing him to his ribs on the left side of his body.

As the woman tried to intervene, Stead told her: “Move out of my way or I’ll have your head off.”

He then gave her the knives, saying: “Do something to me.”

The court heard that Stead then left the flat, telling the woman: “You’re going to make two calls. One to police and one to my mum. You’re going to tell her to come and look after the cats.”

When police arrived around 15 minutes later, Stead was detained outside his flat still in possession of the two knives.

In interview, he admitted being responsible for the attack, stating he had mental health problems and had experienced previous issues with “nuisance” neighbours.

He said he had not meant to cause any serious injury, but had drunk a three-litre bottle of cider and become “frightened” after hearing the man make threats on the phone, mistakenly thinking they were aimed at him.

Stead pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Tom Rushbrooke, mitigating, said his client had a history of mental health issues but showed genuine remorse for his actions.

He said the defendant had also called the police, as well as the woman, and had fully admitted the offences.

Judge Colin Burn ordered Stead to serve a four-year prison sentence, with an extended licence period of four years.

He told Stead: “It is clear that you have a long history of mental health difficulties. In some limited circumstances, you are unable to control yourself from perpetrating violence which could turn out to have very serious consequences.

“If something like this was to happen in the future, it could turn out very badly for the person on the receiving end.”