A NORTH-EAST man has been given two life sentences following a serious stabbing incident.

Stefan Paul Lynas, 25, was jailed by Teesside Crown Court earlier this week after he pleaded guilty to two offences of wounding with intent, following an incident, at the Princess Alice pub, in South Bank, Middlesbrough, on Sunday, May 20.

Lynas, of Passfield Crescent, South Bank, near Middlesbrough critically injured Derek Beatty and Ruksar Ulhoq after stabbing them both in the chest.

It followed an argument between the men. Lynas left the pub, but returned an hour later armed with a kitchen knife and a baseball bat.

Detective Inspector Gordon Lang, from Redcar CID, said that the sentence handed to Lynas showed how seriously the courts were taking knife attacks.

"It sends a resounding message that using knives is taken seriously by the courts because it can be fatal. It shows that the courts are prepared to give a significant punishment."

He said that officers involved in the case experienced difficulties because of a lack of help from the public.

The court ordered that Lynas should serve a minimum sentence of three years and four months.