AN Ellesmere Port man plunged a large knife into the chest of his victim over a family dispute he had nothing to do with.

Anthony Gee, 45, of Raby Court, Ellesmere Port, appeared via videolink at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, July 22, after previously admitting the stabbing of 34-year-old victim Kurt Williams.

The vicious attack happened in broad daylight at the junction of Cambridge Road and Whitby Road in Ellesmere Port on Wednesday, May 13, and left Mr Williams badly wounded.

Chester Crown Court heard Mr Williams required extensive surgery and his spleen was removed, along with most of his pancreas.

Judge Simon Berkson jailed Gee for nine years.

Prosecuting, Jayne Morris said the origin of the attack was a family dispute involving money.

Mr Williams was in a relationship with Anthony Gee's daughter Courtney Gee, who had received messages from her uncle Kevin Gee regarding money allegedly being taken from his mother.

Mr Williams and Ms Gee went to meet Kevin Gee and there was a verbal dispute outside Kevin Gee's flat, where the defendant was also staying.

Kevin Gee went inside the flat and Anthony Gee emerged later, holding a large knife.

Dashcam footage taken at the junction showed Anthony Gee with the large knife.

Gee stabbed Mr Williams deep in the chest before walking off.

A nearby taxi had pulled up at the traffic lights and took Mr Williams to an ambulance station, which took him to Aintree Hospital for treatment.

He was described by the taxi's passenger as looking increasingly grey and they needed to apply pressure to the wound.

Judge Berkson remarked the taxi driver had arguably helped save Mr Williams's life.

The victim required extensive surgery as he had a large amount of blood in his abdomen.

The court heard that, due to the large wound, surgeons had no choice but to remove Mr Williams's spleen and most of his pancreas. He also required 20 units of blood.

He now requires daily doses of penicillin for two years, is at risk of diabetes and serious risk of infection, as well as having visible significant scarring.

A victim impact statement heard Mr Williams had previously been a big-hearted, outgoing man but had only been outside twice since the attack and returned home scared very quickly.

He would panic, thinking someone was going to stab him, and was now "a weak mess" who just wanted to move on from all this.

Gee had two previous convictions for violence, but nothing as severe as this on his record, which totalled 19 convictions for 27 offences.

Ms Morris also told the court Gee was intoxicated at the time of the offence.

Defending, Simon Mills said Gee had a long-standing drink problem which meant he had limited memory of the offence.

He was unable to explain why he did what he did but expressed remorse and knew he had caused the victim a dreadful injury with life-changing consequences.

He had kept himself out of trouble for some time before the offence and was responsive to probation in attempts to address the issues which had led him to behave as he did.

The time away from alcohol would allow Gee the chance to lead a "better and more stable life", Mr Mills added.

Judge Berkson, sentencing, said Gee "did not have any particular concerns" in the family dispute, but Gee picked up a "very long and dangerous knife" and "cut through a number of vital organs" in the victim's body, in a "very serious" offence that "should never have happened".

Gee had acted "in a criminally dangerous fashion".

As well as the nine-year prison sentence, the knife used in the stabbing was to be forfeited and destroyed.