Neighbour dispute lands man in prison

A man stabbed his neighbour with a carving knife and shouted “I am going to kill you” after a 20-year dispute boiled over.

Philip Sheath, 70, of Hawkins Road, Cambridge, began throwing items over his fence into his neighbour’s garden on 14 November last year.

When the neighbour, a man in his 60s, went to complain, Sheath opened his front door and began trying to stab him with the seven-inch knife.

Sheath thrust the knife so violently the victim fell backwards and hit his head on a concrete path, with his attacker shouting over and over, “I am going to kill you”.

Fortunately, Sheath was not able to fully stab the victim with the blade only going through the outer clothing causing cuts.

Sheath was jailed for three years and 10 months at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday (30 January) after pleading guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

He was also given a ten-year restraining order to protect the victim.

Following the attack, Sheath called 999 saying he had carried out the stabbing and explaining the feud.

Meanwhile, the victim’s wife had pulled her husband away from the door, only realising he had been stabbed when they returned home.

Sheath told call takers he was sober and not mentally ill and remained on the call until officers arrived and arrested him. He pointed officers to the knife, now on a coffee table.

Detective Sergeant Christian Jackman said: “Although there had been issues between Sheath and the victim's family for multiple years this incident was extremely sudden and unprovoked.

“Sheath showed an extreme amount of violence, and the victim has experienced a terrifying ordeal which will stay with him throughout his life.

“He suffered wounds to his stomach and broken ribs. Thankfully, he survived the attack, but it could so easily have ended very differently.”

Anyone with concerns about weapons can report to police online via the dedicated weapons information webpage

Pictured: Philip Sheath, 70