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Love-rival throat slasher jailed | Love-rival throat slasher jailed |
(40 minutes later) | |
A man convicted of attempted murder after he tried to kill a suspected love rival in a supermarket car park has been jailed for seven years. | A man convicted of attempted murder after he tried to kill a suspected love rival in a supermarket car park has been jailed for seven years. |
Michael Griffiths, 22, of Pangbourne Road, Reading, slashed Saikou "Dwayne" Danso's throat last May, as he thought he was "flirting with his woman". | Michael Griffiths, 22, of Pangbourne Road, Reading, slashed Saikou "Dwayne" Danso's throat last May, as he thought he was "flirting with his woman". |
Mr Danso, aged 23, lost two litres of blood and begged a friend to phone his parents to tell them he loved them. | Mr Danso, aged 23, lost two litres of blood and begged a friend to phone his parents to tell them he loved them. |
Griffiths was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday. | Griffiths was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday. |
He had said he had been attacked and was only acting in self-defence. | |
'Lack of empathy' | |
Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Loraie-Smith said: "Had it not been for the swift action of medical staff who saved his [Danso's] life this could so easily have been a murder trial." | |
The court had heard how Mr Danso had spent the night at the home of Griffiths' girlfriend. It was told the pair were acquaintances and nothing happened. | |
But Griffiths became jealous and days later when he was in a car in Reading town centre with Mr Danso, he pulled his rival's head back and plunged a knife into his throat. | |
Judge Loraie-Smith said Griffiths had shown a "lack of empathy" for his victim and was a serious risk to the public. | |
Griffiths was given an indeterminate sentence and told he would serve a minimum of seven years. He will only be released when he is deemed no longer a risk to the public. |
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