Angry Jake Lillis, 27, broke into his ex girlfriend's Winchcombe home and launched a 'frenzied' knife attack on a man he found in her bedroom, stabbing him four times, a court heard today.

Victim Nathan King's lung was punctured in the terrifying onslaught on 8th January this year, Gloucester crown court was told.

Mr King also had three other stab wounds - to the throat, side of the head and arm, said prosecutor Julian Kesner.

And Mr King suffered a fractured knuckle while hitting Lillis to defend himself.

Lillis, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Mr King on 8th January this year at the home of former partner Jessica Bainbridge in Binyon Road, Winchcombe.

He was jailed for three years.

Mr Kesner told the court there had been a long history of domestic abuse by Lillis on Ms Bainbridge for five years leading up to the attack. But most of the alleged incidents had not been reported to the police.

The original charges against Lillis after last month's incident had been aggravated burglary and wounding with intent to cause grievious bodily harm, Mr Kesner said. But the Crown had not proceeded with those because neither Mr King nor Ms Bainbridge wanted to support the prosecution.

Mr Kesner said Mr King and Ms Bainbridge were in the bedroom when Lillis turned up outside shouting to be let in. He then broke in through a downstairs window, grabbed a knife from the kitchen, and was heard shouting 'I'll kill him.'

"He entered the bedroom and there was then a frenzied knife attack on Mr King," he said. "Just before he entered the bedroom his five year old son had come in after being woken by the noise of the window breaking.

""As the defendant entered, Mr King got out of bed. He put his body weight against the door to prevent entry. But the defendant ran at the door twice and barged it open."

Mr Kesner said Mr King 'did his level best' to fight off the defendant and prevent him using the knife on him. There was a 'violent and forceful' fight but Lillis still managed to inflict four knife wounds, the most serious at the top of the chest by thje clavicle, which caused the lung to collapse.

Eventually Mr King managed to pin Lillis against a door long enough for Miss Bainbridge to take the knife from him. Lillis then ran away.

Mr King spent three days in hospital after the attack and had to have his lung drained, Mr Kesner added.

The prosecutor listed Lillis' previous convictions, which included offences of robbery, battery, common assault, criminal damage, public disorder and drink driving.

Joe Maloney, for Lillis, said that when his client went to the house that night he had no itention of breaking in or using violence. He had gone unarmed but then when he realised there was a man in the bedroom the 'red mist descended' and he broke in and grabbed a knife.

"He accepts that he acted totally inappropriately and he regrets his behaviour," said Mr Maloney.

Jailing Lillis Judge Michael Harington said "It must have been a horrifying experience for Miss Bainbridge and Mr King. This was an appalling incident. You are very fortunate only to be facing a charge of unlawful wounding and not something far more serious."