A KNIFEMAN who left his victim fighting for his life has been jailed for nine years.

William Harrison, of Gibson Close, Saffron Walden, was told by Judge Christopher Ball QC at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday that it was only thanks to the “skill and persistence” of the two female medical technicians that he had not faced a murder charge.

Harrison, 43, who pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Ian Campbell, on October 10, had also struck girlfriend Teresa Herod in the face before stabbing Mr Campbell.

The court was told that he had met Ms Herod through the internet reality games 2nd Life and Master and Servant, and had then gone to live with her in Saffron Walden.

They had gone to Haverhill on the day of the attack for him to sign-on and she had been texting a colleague from Tesco, Mr Campbell, and they all met up for drinks in town before buying some more alcohol at an off-licence and returning to the Gibson Close address.

Ms Herod and Mr Campbell went out for a walk but on returning found that Harrison had locked himself in the lounge. They left the kitchen and went to her bedroom but Harrison then burst in and told Mr Campbell to leave which he did.

Harrison struck Ms Herod on the face and went downstairs and stabbed Mr Campbell in the chest, causing a two inch by two inch wound. He had been hiding the knife in his hand.

Referring to the medical technicians, Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said: “When they arrived Rebecca Price-Smith and Judith Sands discovered a faint pulse and, with his blood pressure dropping rapidly, they inserted a canular.

“This saved his life.”

Judge Ball commented: “It was their insistence on not being jobsworths that has saved his life. This man came within a whisker of dying.”

Anna Perrera, mitigating, said Harrison claimed there were “sexual noises” coming from the bedroom before he went in. She told the court that Harrison had previously lived in Canada – he has dual nationality – before meeting Ms Herod.

They met through the internet sites and she went to Canada before he came to the UK.