A man has been jailed for stabbing a fellow farm worker in the neck after a row over spicy food saw hand sanitiser squirted into the victim's meal.
Dean Loughran attacked Reda Gabarron with a knife in the communal kitchen of a specialist chicken and duck farm in Crediton, Devon, where both men were living and working on March 18, 2020.
Mr Gabarron was making food he intended to share with the 48-year-old defendant when they had a disagreement over Loughran’s request to add more spice.
The co-worker went to his room to get an extra ingredient and returned to find Loughran squirting hand sanitiser into the meal, Exeter Crown Court was told.
An argument ensued before Loughran picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed the victim in the neck.
The blade missed any major arteries or veins and Mr Gabarron, 31, was treated in hospital and needed stitches.
Loughran, of no fixed abode, admitted a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
But Mr Joss Ticehurst, defending, said the defendant was actually very sorry and feeling guilty about what he had done.
He said Loughran had endured a traumatic and violent upbringing at the hands of his father in Northern Ireland and had witnessed atrocities during the troubles.
He had mental health, drink and drug issues. But he was now tackling his addictions and getting his life back together, said Mr Ticehurst.
Judge Peter Johnson acknowledged Loughran had a difficult childhood but he had to consider whether, in light of previous convictions, the defendant was dangerous and posed a significant risk of causing serious harm in future.
"In my judgement you are dangerous in those terms and an extension is necessary," he said.
He was sentenced to five years and four months in prison, with a three-year extended licence on Thursday.
After the hearing, Detective Sergeant Simon Andrews, of Mid Devon CID, said: “This was a nasty incident. The fact that the victim was stabbed in the neck could potentially have had fatal consequences.
“The prison term handed to Loughran by the judge also reflects the lack of remorse shown by the defendant and the need to protect the wider community.
“This sentencing is a reflection of the serious nature of the offence and a warning to others about how seriously police and the courts take knife crime.”
