A 43-YEAR-OLD builder from Newton Abbot has been jailed today for stabbing a man who had had a relationship with his wife.

Damien Weston hid a knife up his sleeve and confronted Ricky Campbell outside his home in Sandringham Road, Newton Abbot, one day in February last year.

Exeter Crown Court heard that Weston made comments about Mr Campbell's relationship with his wife before he lunged and stabbed him in the neck.

The complainant thought he had been punched but realised he had been stabbed when he felt the blood and told a man he was with that he thought he was going to die.

Dad-of-three Weston tried to stop the men calling for an ambulance, snatching one phone from the other man at the scene of the assault.

The victim was taken to hospital and the knife narrowly missed a major blood artery in his neck.

Weston gave himself up to police a week later and said he had acted in self defence and had punched the victim and had not seen the knife.

Weston admitted wounding with intent and having a bladed article and was jailed for four years and three months.

The court heard he has 25 previous offences, mostly for dishonesty.

Judge James Patrick said Weston had a 'beef' with the victim over the relationship with his wife.

The judge said he used a highly dangerous weapon and there was an element of revenge and was chillingly close to causing a grave injury.