Oswaldtwistle man, 24, stabbed his flatmate

1:55pm Friday 16th May 2008

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A MAN who stabbed his Oswaldtwistle flatmate was prosecuted even though the victim did not want to press charges - after he handed himself into police.

Sean Marsden, 24, inflicted a two centimetre wound on Jason Lee Barbour's shoulder which had involved muscle tissue and meant he had to have stitches.

Mr Barbour was not prepared to go to court over the attack and did not want his former friend to get into trouble, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Marsden was spared immediate jail after a judge said the offence would normally attract custody.

But the police would have known nothing about it if he had not called them.

Recorder Geoffrey Lowe said the case was unusual and told the defendant: "It is difficult to imagine any greater show of remorse than by calling the police yourself."

The defendant, now of Hollingreave Road, Burnley, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm in April and had been committed for sentence by Hyndburn magistrates.

He was given eight months in jail, suspended for a year, with 12 months supervision.

Francis McEntee, prosecuting, told the court the defendant and victim shared a house with another man in Oswaldtwistle.

Mr McEntee said Mr Barbour would say the defendant seemed immediately shocked at what he had done and invited the victim to ring the police.

When he refused, Marsden did it himself.

The doctor who treated him reported Mr Barbour was in pain and his wound, which was also swollen, was irrigated and stitched.

He was given antibiotics.

David Farley, defending, said: "He is unlikely to ever behave in this way again."