A knifeman who almost killed his innocent victim in a horrific street attack was caged for just two-and-a-half years today.

Daniel Thoms needed four litres of fluid pumped into his body to replace the blood lost when Kevin White's knife hit the jugular vein in his neck during the stabbing.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how as well as the neck wound Mr Thoms was stabbed in the stomach during the unprovoked attack on July 12 last year.

The court heard how Mr Thoms stopped breathing on his way to hospital and only the skill of trained medical professionals prevented him from dying of his injuries.

Mr Thoms was attacked as he walked a group of friends back from a party at his home in Archer Square, Sunderland. Prosecutor Robert Woodcock said White wrongly believed Mr Thoms' group had been responsible for an earlier attack which had left him with an injured hand.

White, 20, and his pals had approached Mr Thoms' group, one waving a claw hammer, and threatened "I'm going to kill you". Mr Woodcock added: "One of the attackers, Mr White, stabbed Mr Thoms in the stomach.

"Understandably he reacted to that by punching at his attacker.

"As a result of that he was stabbed a second time. This time in the neck."

Mr Thoms' jugular vein had to be tied off and the rest of his neck wound cleaned and closed up when he arrived at Sunderland hospital.

The wound to his stomach was also treated and he has been left with two unsightly scars which he showed to the judge at the sentencing hearing yesterday.

The court heard how Mr Thoms, a postman, was unable to return to work for 11 months and feels nervous of being alone.

After reading the medical evidence in the case, Judge Guy Whiburn said; "Essentially, to summarise the doctors report, this is one lucky man." White had pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

Defence barrister Paul Cross said: "This is a young man who, full of drink, goes out plainly looking for some sort of trouble, but not looking to cause serious injury and not intending to cause serious injury."

Mr Cross said White had drunkenly "took it into his head to find somebody who had attacked him" and would be unlikely to ever behave that way again.

Judge Whitburn told White this was one of the most serious cases of its kind he had ever dealt with and added: "Had it not been for the very efficient way he was dealt with by paramedics and later doctors and consultants, he would have died "You inflicted an appalling injury on that man."