Seaton: Man jailed for stabbing his son

A SEATON man who was stabbed by his father has told how thoughts of his two young children helped keep him alive.

Keith Oxford was in intensive care for 11 days after his father, also called Keith, stabbed him outside their home in Queen Street, in April. The blade pierced his rib, stomach and bowel and Mr Oxford was told he was lucky to be alive.

His father, aged 46, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Monday and was jailed for two years.

Mr Oxford, 25, told the Herald: "I felt the knife enter and, at first, I was just shocked. I saw my insides hanging out through the wound.

"I thought I was going to die and just lay down on the floor.

"The next thing I remember is waking up when the paramedics arrived. I lost consciousness again and came round in intensive care. The surgeon said they nearly lost me during surgery and I was lucky to have survived.

"I just kept thinking of my children and how I needed to pull through for their sakes."

The court heard the pair had been drunkenly 'play-fighting' when Oxford lost his temper.

Mr Oxford, who was living in Axmouth at the time, has now moved back to Bolton to be with family there.

His girlfriend at the time, Stacey Holmes, 24, has slammed the sentence for being too lenient and fears it will not deter knife crime.

She witnessed the attack and said: "I think it's absolutely disgusting. How can you only get two years for stabbing your own son? They should have made an example of him."

Stacey said she has been left emotionally scarred and fears the day when Oxford will be released.

She said: "How can somebody stab their own flesh and blood? It's definitely changed me. I've been constantly watching over my shoulder since it happened. If he can do it to his son, he can do it to anyone.

"He got two years, but it doesn't cover the sleepless nights, flashbacks and anxiety attacks I have had to put up with since then."

She said Mr Oxford did not realise he had been stabbed immediately, but then struggled to stand and later vomited.

She said: "His dad then held Keith's hand and kept saying I'm sorry. But sorry just isn't enough."

When the police arrived, Stacey was arrested along with Oxford and his partner.

She said she was held for 23 hours, until Mr Oxford regained consciousness and told police she did not stab him.

Dc Steve Harrington, who worked on the case, said: "I'm pleased for the victim that this man has received a reasonably lengthy custodial sentence, as it was a particularly horrific crime, bearing in mind it was a father who stabbed his son.