A CARLISLE man who repeatedly stabbed his brother in the face and neck with a large kitchen knife has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

The city’s crown court heard how an argument between 41-year-old Lee Kidd and sibling Callum Kidd, at the former’s Coney Street home in Currock, exploded into violence on the afternoon of October 23 last year.

Amid provocation by former Army man Callum, who was noted by a judge to have been “in drink” and “argumentative”, Lee picked up a 20cm blade from a kitchen block which he plunged twice into his brother’s neck and once into his cheek.

Callum suffered three deep wounds and needed surgery.

Giving evidence during a trial this week, Callum told jurors how, as he lay bleeding and in pain, his brother paced up and down, while sneering: “I hope you die.”

In a moving victim impact statement, Callum - left physically and mentally scarred - spoke of suffering nightmares after the incident, along with anxiety and depression.

“I feel angry. Angry that my own brother could have killed me and caused my children to lose their dad,” he stated.

“I can’t put into words how much this has changed me. I’m certain that the road to recovery is going to be a long one.”

Lee Kidd denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, but was unanimously convicted yesterday, by a jury of six men and six women.

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Barker found Lee Kidd had been provoked, and concluded his attack was not premeditated.

But he told Kidd: “None of that can excuse your actions. They were highly, highly dangerous.

“You took up what was, without doubt, the most threatening and dangerous implement available, and used that on your own brother.”

Judge Barker added: “The multiple blows are a demonstration of what your intention was. The sites of these blows is another demonstration of what your intention was.”

Speaking after the case, Detective Matthew Rees, of Cumbria police, said: “This is a great result putting a violent offender behind bars. Lee Kidd used senseless violence and fortunately the victim’s injuries were not fatal.

“The use of knives can lead to fatal consequences and we will not tolerate this happening in our communities.

“I hope that the prison sentence can send a clear message to those who would consider using a knife, that if you do we will do all we can to ensure you are removed from society and spend time in prison.”