Man who slashed his friend's neck during row in Skelm's jailed.

A man who attacked his friend with a sauce bottle in Skelm- nearly causing him to bleed to death's- been jailed.

A Skelmersdale man, who was attacked by a friend with a broken sauce bottle after a heavy drinking session, nearly bled to death.

A court heard that when Derek Staples was struck with the piri piri sauce bottle an artery in his neck was sliced open and it was only the prompt arrival of paramedics that saved his life.

His attacker, 42-year-old Martin Trickey, was today (Wed) jailed for six years after pleading guilty to wounding with intent.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Trickey was not normally an aggressive person and a judge said that but for the quantity of alcohol he had drunk the offence would not have occurred.

Harry Pepper, prosecuting, said that Trickey was with his partner, Leona Garbe, and others at Mr Staples home in Flimby, Skelmersdale on April 3 and they all spent the day drinking cider and vodka.

Trickey and his partner began bickering and Mr Staples asked them to leave and when Trickey refused he gently took hold of Ms Garbe's arm to usher them out.

"Trickey stood up, picked up a glass sauce bottle with his left hand and smashed it on a coffee table and hit Mr Staples with it," said Mr Pepper.

The defendant left the blood spattered flat and went to his nearby home in Flimby and put his clothes in the washing machine.  His partner had called the emergency services and paramedics found the victim bleeding heavily.

He lost consciousness and resuscitation was started and he was taken to Southport Hospital with a weak pulse. An ENT surgeon had to stitch the temperal artery in his neck, which had been severed, and he also needed stitches to lacerations to his right cheek and ear.

Trickey was arrested and found to be very drunk. He said he had punched him once but said he had no recollection of swinging out at him and said he suffers from blackouts. "It is the worst thing I have ever done," he said.

The court heard that the victim was kept in hospital for two days.

David Lacide, defending, said that Trickey's life "has been ravaged by alcohol." His slide into alcoholism began in 2002 following his father's death and he was also the victim of a serious attack which fractured his leg, leaving him with a permanent limp.

He added that Trickey, who has previous convictions, including assaulting his partner, "Is quite horrified by what occurred," he added.

The judge, Recorder Rowena Goode, said, "But for the prompt attendance of the emergency services Mr Staples could well have lost his life from blood loss."

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