Norfolk man stabbed stepson

A man ended up stabbing his stepson with a kitchen knife in a struggle at his Taverham home.Leslie Miller, 64, grabbed the kitchen knife after he was involved in an earlier scuffle with his stepson Andrew Fearnley, as the two men did not get on, Norwich Crown Court heard.

A man ended up stabbing his stepson with a kitchen knife in a struggle at his Taverham home.

Leslie Miller, 64, grabbed the kitchen knife after he was involved in an earlier scuffle with his stepson Andrew Fearnley, as the two men did not get on, Norwich Crown Court heard.

After being stabbed, Mr Fearnley had gone round to a neighbour's home in Foxwood Close where he had collapsed and he was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Jude Durr, prosecuting, said that Mr Fearnley suffered a 2cm cut on the left hand side of his chest but the wound had not penetrated the chest cavity.

Miller admitted causing actual bodily harm to Mr Fearnley. He was given a nine month jail sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work.

The court heard he was now getting divorced from his wife, who is in poor health.

Sentencing him, Judge Paul Downes said fortunately the injury to Mr Fearnley was not serious but said: 'The use of knives is to be discouraged.'

Andrew Oliver, for Miller, said: Clearly this was an unhappy incident.'

He said the incident had led to the break-up of Miller's marriage and it was expected that the divorce would be through by August.