A teenager who plunged a knife into the abdomen of a father of three has been jailed for more than six years.

Alan Goddard, 19, also hit the victim repeatedly on the head and body with a wooden post in the family’s home, said Matthew Collins, prosecuting.

As the victim, blood gushing from the wound, desperately sought help from a neighbour, Goddard fled.

The young children were left alone in the house and their mother had to negotiate with armed police to take them away, said Mr Collins.

The father, who needed surgery and a week in hospital, said in a personal statement he and his family had had to move away from their home area because of the way Goddard had behaved and his “lack of consideration for their (the children’s) welfare and safety”.

Both he and his partner had lost their jobs as a result and were living "hand to mouth" on benefits.

Goddard, of High Moor Road, Dringhouses, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and carrying a knife.

Jailing him for six and a half years, Judge Simon Hickey told Goddard: "I believe you are an immature and naive young man, 19 in chronological age and probably younger than that (mentally).

"This escalated from probably an innocent angry verbal confrontation that spiralled extremely out of control and led to a man being stabbed and suffering from very serious life changing injuries."

He read a psychiatric and a probation service report before passing sentence at York Crown Court.

Mr Collins said Goddard wanted to "sort out" the father-of-three after hearing of the distress he had caused a woman.

So he had cycled to the family's home with a kitchen knife at 8pm on September 8 to "frighten" him into apologising.

He pulled out the knife and when the victim warned him he would go to prison if he used it, Goddard replied: "So."

He had succeeded in making the victim feel so intimidated in his kitchen, the victim went outside to smoke a cigarette to calm himself and the situation down.

"The next thing he felt was a blow to the back of the head," said Mr Collins.

Goddard was repeatedly hitting him with a wooden post or bat until the victim became disorientated.

He was holding the knife at the same time.

"The defendant thrust the knife into the victim's torso just under the rib cage leaving it there and letting go of the handle," said Mr Collins.

The judge said none of the 13cm blade was visible.

Mr Collins said Goddard left. The victim pulled the knife out which led to blood gushing out. It had pierced his liver and also caused internal bleeding.

He managed to get to a neighbour's, "leaving a trail of blood behind him", and got help.

From there he was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he was treated for a week, including surgery.

In his personal statement, the father said the incident had changed his personality and left lasting physical effects.

For Goddard, Ben Campbell said he had "deep remorse" and wanted to apologise for his actions, which had been out of character.

He had not gone to the house with the intention of stabbing the victim.

"There was a lack of premeditation and events rapidly spiralled out of control, at any rate any control that Alan Goddard was in a position to exercise," said the defence barrister.

He had let go of the knife immediately and had run away leaving his bike behind.

The psychiatrist had concluded Goddard may have learning difficulties but had not given a diagnosis.