By Lucy Caulkett-
A maniac has been jailed for five years and three months for knifing his friend 12 times, fracturing his shoulder blade and puncturing his lung.
Lee Joyce(pictured) brutally attacked his friend at Halifax, West Yorkshire late on July 8 last year, jurors at Bradford Crown Court heard today.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
The 26 year old pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
He was originally charged with attempted murder but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to Section 18 wounding.
His defence team revealed that he had serious medical and psychological difficulties after a major accident in 2016.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
Joyce and his victim were workmates and friends but fell fell out over a dispute, leading to a physical altercation between the pair.
Joyce then stabbed the man 12 times in the torso, three times to his front and nine times to his back.
His victim was taken to Leeds General Infirmary and transferred to St James University Hospital.
The victim, whose identity has been withheld, sustained 12 injuries consistent with knife wounds. One had penetrated the chest cavity and damaged a lung. The man’s liver was also damaged.
The injuries were potentially life-threatening and severe force was needed to fracture the man’s shoulder blade. A chest drain was inserted and he was in hospital for four days.
Cops found a blood-stained knife down the sofa at the Hopkinson Street address.
The day after the stabbing, Joyce told a relative: ‘I’ve done something really bad. I’ve stabbed a lad…I stabbed, stabbed, stabbed him.”
Joyce said he was being attacked with a knife and a table leg and acted in self-defence.
However, prosecutor Mr Dunn said when he was examined at the police station, he had sustained only minor grazing. Michelle Colborne KC said in mitigation that Joyce did not go looking for trouble that night, he responded to it.
Miss Colborne said Joyce acted out of excessive self-defence and the victim was dis-charged from hospital in a matter of days.
Joyce had post-traumatic stress disorder after a very serious car accident in 2016 that left him in a wheelchair for a long time.
Judge Jonathan Gibson agreed that the offence was committed out of ‘excessive self-defence.’ Joyce believed that he needed to defend himself but then acted in an unjustified manner.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar