AN alcoholic turned on a friend with whom he had been drinking, launching a sudden knife attack in public, a court heard.

Robert Martin Tempest and the victim left the house in Peterlee where they had been drinking with another man to go to buy another bottle of wine, on Saturday January 19 this year.

Durham Crown Court was told that as they neared a petrol station, the surprise attack took place in Cambrian Way.

Mark Giuliani, prosecuting, said: “For reasons that are not clear, he produced a knife and stabbed him three times in the back, and was heard to say: ‘I’m going to kill you’.”

The victim managed to stagger away and flee the scene, but when police arrived, Tempest was voluntarily arrested, having told a group of women nearby what he had done.

Tempest said he dropped the knife in bushes, but, despite a search, it was not recovered.

Mr Giuliani said although Tempest told the women he was “fed up” with the other man, he could offer no reason for the attack when formally interviewed later by police, claiming he had no recollection of the incident.

An air ambulance helicopter attended the scene and the victim was treated in hospital by way of stitches to three small wounds to the lower part of his back. All three blows narrowly avoided his spine.

Mr Giuliani said despite agreeing to speak to Tempest through an intermediary, in a subsequent restorative justice meeting, the victim left frustrated at receiving no explanation for the attack and was said to still be suffering pain from his wounds .

Tempest 46, of Galloway Road, Peterlee, admitted wounding with intent.

John Turner, mitigating, said for a long time the defendant had been, “a functioning alcoholic”, after years of heavy drinking.

But, while in custody since the incident, he has dried out, taken up a daily work routine as a cleaner, and has even begun going to the gym, as well as giving up smoking.

He added that the defendant was lucky to still have a good “support network” round him, who will remain of assistance on his release, providing he keeps off the drink.

A psychiatric report, presented to the court, said Tempest’s problem was alcohol, under the influence of which he can act “impulsively”.

Judge Christopher Prince told him: “It was mid-afternoon, you were on your way to buy more alcohol, when completely out of the blue you produced a knife and stabbed the complainant three times to the small of his back.

“Fortunately, although the wounds entered muscle, they did not touch the spine.”

He imposed a four-year prison sentence and issued an unlimited restraining order, prohibiting Tempest from trying to contact or approach his victim in future.