A MAN who stabbed a fellow drinker in a Cuddington pub will not be jailed for attempted murder.

Marc Ashbrook, 23, of Ash Road, Cuddington, stabbed victim John McKenna with a four-inch blade at the White Barn at 11.15pm on May 9.

Mr Mckenna, 36, spent weeks in hospital recovering from the serious wounds to his stomach and arm inflicted by the kitchen knife, and Ashbrook was charged with attempted murder.

He admitted grievous bodily harm and possessing a bladed article in August but prosecutors rejected his pleas to the lesser offences and a week-long trial was due to get under way on Monday.

But a last-minute change of mind by the prosecution saw no evidence submitted for the attempted murder charge and Judge Clement Goldstone agreed to abort the trial and sentence Ashbrook solely for the lesser offences.

Owen Edwards, prosecuting, told the hearing at Chester Crown Court, on Monday, how Ashbrook had a history of carrying out serious violence and had been known to ‘grab the nearest thing’ to inflict harm on others, including a mop handle and a glass shelf.

He said: “He has a propensity to violence and he admits intent to cause really serious injury but not attempting to kill.

“The prosecution will offer no evidence on the attempted murder charge but it in no way detracts from the enormity of the attack on Mr McKenna.”

John Roberts, defending, pushed for sentence to be passed there and then, stating the defendant wanted to ‘get on with his life and put it behind him’.

He said: “He knows he will be sentenced for public protection, he knows he will receive a highest bracket sentence.

“He understands that he will be in prison for some length and he accepts that.”

But Judge Goldstone refused to proceed without a pre-sentence report because of Ashbrook’s young age and remanded him in custody to return for sentence on November 17.

He said: “He is going to receive a sentence of indeterminate length – he may not be released for many, many years – but the public would not expect a man of his age facing such a sentence for the first time not to have a report.”