A PUB chef has been jailed for four years for killing a father of three over a drunken row.

William Hill, 47, stabbed friend and drinking partner Robert Davison with an eight-inch kitchen knife when the victim tried to intervene in a domestic bust-up between the killer and his girlfriend.

Hill, of Wasdale Close, Padiham, admitted manslaughter when he appeared at Preston Crown Court in December and he was sentenced yesterday.

He stabbed Mr Davison, also known as Geordie Bob, once in the stomach when the victim turned up at his house at about 6pm on Sunday, February 1.

The court heard Mr Davison, 58, went to the house from the Hare and Hounds pub, West Street, Padiham, to berate Hill after a row in the pub.

Andrew O'Burn, prosecuting, said Hill had turned up drunk at the pub earlier in the day and rowed with his partner, and landlady at the pub, Sharon Jackson.

He had thrown a pint glass at the bar before leaving to go home.

Once there he telephoned the pub and continued the row with Miss Jackson, only for Mr Davison to intervene in an attempt at peacekeeping - with fatal consequences.

The court heard the pair argued and Mr Davison said he was going round to see Hill to "sort him out".

When he arrived at Wasdale Close Hill let him in to the hallway of the house and the pair continued arguing.

Hill had earlier stashed a knife on a chair and when Mr Davison lunged towards him he was stabbed to a depth of six inches.

Mr Davison initially appeared only slightly injured and returned to the Hare and Hounds. He then collapsed.

He was taken by ambulance to Burnley General Hospital where he died four days later.

Peter Wright, defending, said Hill had shown genuine remorse for killing his friend and the loss he had caused to Mr Davison's family.

He said: "With regard to the loss to the family, together with the death, his punishment cannot be gauged simply in terms of a prison sentence.

"He acknowledges that his loss of liberty is little in comparison to the anguish Mr Davison's family must have suffered." He said Hill had no intention of causing serious harm to Mr Davison but had just wanted to use the knife to make him leave the house.

Judge Peter Openshaw said a custodial sentence was the only option.

He said: "It is quite clear that Mr Davison's continued presence in the house was seen by the defendant as threatening, but it was the defendant who produced the knife and, most seriously, picked it up and used it to prod Mr Davison with disastrous consequences."

Mr Davison leaves a son, Terry, and daughters, Kirsty and Kelly and grandchildren, Jack and Demi. His family was too upset to comment.