A 14-year-old girl lost more than four pints of blood after a man plunged a kitchen knife into her, a jury heard.

Bradford Crown Court heard that David Waterhouse later told police the girl was a drug user, adding: "I've done Bradford a favour."

And the jury heard yesterday that minutes after the attack Waterhouse, 51, had used his mobile phone to text his partner the chilling words "Six more to finish".

The large knife caused a wound eight inches deep that pierced the girl's diaphragm and liver.

She lost four and a half pints of blood and her spinal muscles were damaged.

Paramedics treated her at the scene and surgeons at Bradford Royal Infirmary carried out emergency surgery.

Waterhouse, of Andover Green, Holme Wood, Bradford, denies attempted murder and the alternative charge of intending to cause the girl grievous bodily harm.

Opening the trial, prosecutor Jeremy Richardson QC described how Waterhouse thrust a large sharp knife into the girl's chest with considerable force. He told the jury of six men and six women "there was no doubt whatsoever" that Waterhouse stabbed his victim.

"He plunged the knife into her with very considerable force and, normally, that would be intention to kill or seriously maim," Mr Richardson said.

He said Waterhouse had damage to the frontal lobes of his brain and was drinking alcohol that day.

Mr Richardson said it may also be claimed Waterhouse was acting as an automaton when he stabbed the girl and was not guilty but insane.

Mr Richardson said the Crown's case was that Waterhouse intended to kill or cause very serious injury.

"He knew what he was doing and he did it, even if it was irrational because of mental impairment and alcohol consumption," he said.

The court heard the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was stabbed in a garden on the Holme Wood estate on June 29, 2006.

Now aged 16, she told the jury Waterhouse came towards her with a knife in each hand.

"He looked at me and then he stabbed me," she said.

One knife went into her body and the other missed her.

The teenager said Waterhouse did not speak. "He looked at me with a weird smile on his face and then pulled out the knife," she said.

Mr Richardson said Waterhouse walked off carrying the blood-stained weapon. A member of the public found it nearby.

Waterhouse was arrested soon afterwards in a field. He told officers the girl had been using drugs.

The jury heard that he said: "I've done her a favour. Has she died? I've done Bradford a favour."

Mr Richardson said just before the police closed in, Waterhouse sent a text to his partner saying: "Six more to finish, and what everyone has put me through, they are all gonna pay."

He told police he meant six more drug dealers.

The trial continues.