A MAN who viciously stabbed a vulnerable 56-year-old and cut patterns in his head has been jailed for 12 years.

Anthony Lee, 31, stabbed Stephen Watkin in the neck, back, thigh and buttocks and cut what medical examiners believe was a pattern on his head after punching him to the ground and kicking him.

Lee, of Portland Road, Weymouth, was found guilty of unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Watkin in his Ranelagh Road flat on February 5.

Police later said his sentence ‘will make Weymouth safer’.

Paul James Whelan, 24, of Ranelagh Road, Weymouth, who also faced the joint charge, was found not guilty and released after spending 177 days in custody.

The jury of four men and eight women came to a unanimous verdict on Lee and on Lee’s separate charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Steven Hunt.

Judge Roger Jarvis said Mr Watkin was ‘a vulnerable individual’, adding: “In those circumstances you observed him as easy prey.”

Mr Watkin had been doing work experience at Tesco in a bid to get back into work and off jobseekers allowance.

His friend and neighbour Nicola Gardiner told police in a videoed interview shown at the Bournemouth Crown Court trial that Mr Watkin had challenged Whelan about money going missing from her flat.

She said Whelan went to get Lee who came in and punched Mr Watkin to the ground and started kicking him before she got out of Mr Watkin’s room.

The judge described the attack as ‘vicious’ and said: “You inflicted some dreadful injuries. I’m told he has not fully recovered. Those injuries involved the use of a knife and I’ve seen the photos of the stab marks on his neck and legs.

“There are marks on his head which in the view of a medical practitioner were designed to produce a pattern to degrade the victim. This took place in his own home and there’s plainly a continuing effect on him.”

The court was told by prosecutor Rob Griffiths that the second charge related to an attack on Mr Hunt later that night when he went with Miss Gardiner to get Lee out of her room.

Judge Jarvis described the second attack as ‘brutal’ and sentenced Lee to one year, alongside the 12-year sentence.

The 177 days Lee spent on remand will be taken into account.

Praise for courage of witnesses

BEFORE Judge Jarvis sentenced Anthony Lee to 12 years the prosecutor told him ‘steps had been taken’ to intimidate witness Nicola Gardiner.

Lee was originally arrested on suspicion of attempted murder before his charge was downgraded and Stephen ‘injuries were so bad that he was unable to give evidence due to memory loss.

After the trial Detective Inspector Marcus Hester, of Dorset Police, said Lee had committed ‘a very serious offence’.

“It was only by pure fortune that this was not even more serious,” he said. “The judge has correctly identified that in the sentence issued.

“It will certainly make Weymouth safer in regard to people that are in the unfortunate position of dealing and taking drugs generally.

Lee, originally from Hartlepool, moved to Moreton, near Dorchester, in 1997 when he was aged 17.

He then moved to Weymouth where he says he got involved in drugs including heroin and crack. His 53 previous convictions date back to 1994 and he was sent to prison for 30 months in 2007 for selling drugs to an undercover police officer.

DI Hester added: “I would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank some vulnerable people within society who had the bravery to give evidence against a violent man who threatened and intimidated people.”