Wellingborough man was stabbed after feud about loud music

His attacker was spared from prison
Nest Farm Crescent, Wellingborough.Nest Farm Crescent, Wellingborough.
Nest Farm Crescent, Wellingborough.

A man saw red and stabbed his neighbour in Wellingborough after a long-running row about loud music.

Sergejs Patmalnieks left his victim feeling unable to cope and needing counselling after the shocking incident on the Hemmingwell estate last year.

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Yesterday (Tuesday) at Northampton Crown Court he was spared from prison after recorder Stuart Sprawson was told of his previous good character, significant health issues and remorse for what had happened.

But Recorder Sprawson told the 62-year-old he was fortunate the attack didn't have more serious consequences.

He told him: "It's more by luck than judgement that it did not."

The court heard Patmalnieks, a former lorry driver, had been involved in arguments about how loud the music coming from the flat below him in Nest Farm Crescent had been for some time.

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Complaints had been made to a housing officer but nothing had been done, and a civil dispute between the two is ongoing.

At about 9pm on June 24 last year the flat's tenant came home and put his music on - which Latvian national Patmalnieks saw as the "last straw".

An hour later, armed with a knife, he knocked on his victim's door before lunging at him and stabbing him just below his right pectoral.

Prosecuting, Thomas Welshman said: "He said he only took the knife because he was afraid of the victim's dog.

"When the victim opened the door he panicked."

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After the stabbing there was a melee in the flat which saw Patmalnieks bitten by the dog, before leaving when his wife of 32 years came down to intervene.

The victim was left bleeding heavily and tried to patch up the wound before going to his mum's house.

He later called the police and went to hospital, where he was found to have a 2cm laceration to his chest wall which was sutured and dressed. He also had other cuts and bruises.

In a victim impact statement read out in court by Mr Welshman, he said he felt unable to cope and was prescribed with anti-depressants.

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He has also since seen a counsellor and the incident has left his children frightened, the court heard.

Mr Welshman said: "He is not sure he will ever be the same person."

When he was interviewed Patmalnieks, now of Barret Close, described previous issues with the victim caused by music but admitted taking the knife to the flat and using it to stab him.

He said he was sorry for what he had done and later admitted unlawful wounding before a judge.

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Mitigating, Micaila Williams said Patmalnieks, who plans to return to Latvia, was of previous good character, remorseful and had significant health issues.

Urging Recorder Sprawson to suspend any prison sentence he imposed, she added that the court process had been "sobering" for him and that he was fearful of custody and the impact of it on his wife.

Recorder Sprawson sentenced Patmalnieks to nine months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and told him he would have to take part in rehabilitation activities.