Man jailed for 'unprovoked' knife attack that nearly killed his sleeping friend

David Heaton stabbed Connor Horne multiple times with a kitchen knife as he slept at a property on Helmsdale in Skelmersdale.

Other news: Wigan rockers celebrate record deal with Italian labelAnd today the detective who led the investigation said were it not for the efforts of paramedics at the scene, Mr Horne would have died.

Mr Horne, 20, suffered 14 stab wounds to his neck, arm, back, chest and abdomen and lost one-and-a-half litres of blood as a result of the attack on Sunday, February 10.

Heaton, 19, admitted section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent last month and was yesterday jailed at Preston Crown Court for 10 years.

Det Insp Warren Atkinson, from Lancashire Constabulary, said: “This was a sustained and unprovoked attack carried out on a man who was asleep at the time and it would undoubtedly have been a homicide were it not for the efforts of the paramedics at the scene which saved Connor’s life.

“The impact of David Heaton’s actions on Connor and his family cannot be overstated. They are devastated by what has happened and have struggled to come to terms with the effects of what happened on that fateful morning. This includes psychological trauma as a result of this cowardly attack.

"I am particularly pleased to see the sentence handed down by Recorder HHJ Mark Brown. During his sentencing remarks he said, 'The proliferation of knife crime in society is appalling. In many respects it is a miracle that Connor Horne survived your attack. He was asleep and totally defenceless and he woke up to you raining blows on him with a knife.'

"I would like to thank the paramedics who attended the scene as well as the medical teams at Aintree and Whiston hospitals who treated Connor after the attack. Hopefully this sentence will allow him and his family to start rebuilding their lives together."