A NEIGHBOUR dispute over just a £5 drinking debt in Burnley ended with a 57-year-old lunging at his victim with a 10-inch knife, a court heard.

Lee Hibbert was convinced that Tony Copeman was trying to kill him when he turned up on his doorstep and demanded the return of the fiver, the town’s crown court was told.

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But Mr Hibbert managed to deflect the knife’s thrusts, suffering up to 10 small defence cuts to his hands as Copeman continued trying to attack him.

The victim tried to slap the drunken Copeman in the face and he eventually stumbled away, but not before insisting Mr Hibbert was a ‘dead man’.

Copeman, formerly of Deerstone Avenue, admitted assaulting Mr Hibbert and was given 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, including a 60-day rehabilitation activity requirement to address his alcohol problems.

Hanifa Patel, prosecuting, said Mr Hibbert and Copeman had been drinking, together with a third friend, at the defendant’s flat and at one point he had given them his cash card to buy more alcohol.

“They went to the post office to try to withdraw cash but there were no funds in the account so they returned to the flat and gave the card to him,” said Miss Patel.

The court heard Mr Hibbert went back to his flat upstairs but was disturbed two hours later by a loud banging on his front door.

Miss Patel said Copeman began shouting about the £5.13 in his bank account, which he was convinced his neighbour had stolen.

He produced a knife and made repeated attempts to stab Mr Hibbert before he managed to grab the weapon and the incident eventually calmed down.

Copeman, who has previous convictions for involvement in stabbings, was arrested later but told police he was so drunk he did not recall what had happened but wanted to apologise to Mr Hibbert for his behaviour.

Keith Harrison, defending, said Copeman had stayed out of trouble for 10 years and had brought his drinking under control before the day in question.

“He is 57 and too old to be coming before the courts for these kind of offences,” said Mr Harrison.

Passing sentence, Judge Andrew Woolman said he was ‘amazed’ the defendant had not been charged with a more serious offence, as a knife had been used.