Judge hands 14 months prison to St Pauls man who stabbed taxi driver in his side after an argumentA ST PAULS man who stabbed a taxi driver has been jailed for 14 months.
Ernest Tinling got into his friend Robert Scott's Toyota and handed him a beer, Bristol Crown Court heard.
In an argument outside the car Tinling produced a craft knife he had on him for work and stabbed Mr Scott in the side.
Tinling, 51, of Burnell Drive, pleaded guilty to wounding in August last year.
Judge Euan Ambrose told him: "You produced a knife with which you struck out at Mr Scott.
"Your intention was to cut his hand.
"He moved and you ended up cutting his left flank."
Julian Howells, prosecuting, told the court 37-year-old Mr Scott moved from Jamaica to the UK in 2002.
After becoming a friend of Tinling's family, Mr Scott was employed by Tilning's brother at Dads Cabs, the court heard.
At the time of the attack, though, he was a self-employed taxi driver.
Mr Howells said: "Mr Scott was at the kerb outside Dads Cabs to pick up work as a self-employed driver.
"He had his wife's Toyota Yaris.
"The defendant came out of an off-licence and the Crown says he got into the front seat of Mr Scott's car and handed over a bottle of stout.
"Mr Scott said 'no thanks' because he was driving."
Both men then got out of the car but Tinling failed to close the door and an argument ensued before Mr Scott turned to walk off and felt a sharp pain in his side.
Seeing blood under his clothes he exclaimed: "Don't tell me you've stabbed me!" – observing Tinling had a small knife in his right hand.
Another cabbie took Mr Scott to the accident and emergency department of Bristol Royal Infirmary.
A 4cm long, clean incision to Mr Scott's abdomen was closed with five stitches.
Mr Scott made an impact statement saying the attack left him more nervous and wary, caused him to lose sleep and made him worry about what could have happened and what might happen again.
When Tinling was arrested he told police Mr Scott kicked him so he "sliced him".
Timothy Rose, defending, said references spoke very highly about his client, both in terms of his personal and work life.
Mr Rose said: "He's 51, shortly 52. He's almost never been in trouble in his life.
"He has been 13 years consistently employed by the same employer and has no other history of violence or confronting people in public places."
Mr Rose said Tinling had the knife on him as he used it daily for work.
He said: "There was nothing sinister about having it in his possession.
"Yes, he had not gone straight home. He had it with him for perfectly honest and genuine purposes."
It was both a puzzle and a mystery understanding why Tinling did what he did, Mr Rose said. He said one cause may have been his client's heightened anxiety due to the anniversary of his father's death.
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