A man stabbed his best friend in the neck with a knife during a drug-fueled argument. Kyle Lloyd is believed to have used a craft knife to slash his partner, causing two injuries that required stitches and staples. The 32-year-old defendant has a history of violent crimes, including attempted robbery.

Swansea Crown Court heard how Lloyd and a friend spent 23 October last year drinking Stella whiskey and using marijuana and crack at the defendant’s home in Afan Valley. Dyfed Thomas, the prosecutor, said that throughout the day Lloyd became increasingly angry and aggressive when talking about his partner and children. The couple ended up arguing with Lloyd’s friend, who told him to calm down and stop yelling at him because he was “the only friend he had left”.

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At the end of the confrontation, the friend realized that he had blood on his neck and, upon checking, found two large lacerations. Although the court heard that there was no weapon, the victim believed that Lloyd was in the habit of carrying a Stanley knife. The victim initially did not report the incident, but was persuaded to go to hospital in Bridgend the next day, where 17 stitches were applied to close one of the wounds and the other was stapled.

The prosecutor said Lloyd was arrested and found fit for questioning, but he continued to sleep during questioning and did not speak to officers; he was returned to his cell and questioned again later that day, but he spent most of the interview not looking at the head table.

In a impact statement read out in court, the victim said he was left with two scars on his throat that caused him significant pain. She said she worries the scars will last forever and worries about what to tell her children.

Kyle Lloyd, of Fairfield Road, Crosserve, Simmer, previously pleaded guilty to unlawful injury when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 17 convictions for 31 crimes, including common assault, assault on a police officer, attempted robbery and five counts of assault.

Lloyd’s James Hartson said it was accepted that the defendant suffered two serious injuries, but said there was no nerve or artery damage.

Judge Geraint Walters said he could not claim to fully understand what happened on the day in question and said he suspected the defendant did not either. He said that after using alcohol and drugs, Lloyd became dark and then “completely lost control”. The judge told Lloyd that the victim did not suffer fatal injuries and would not face a lengthy prison sentence for manslaughter.

With a 20% discount for pleading guilty, Lloyd was sentenced to two years in prison. He will serve half of that period in custody before being released on leave to serve the remainder in the community.

Source: Wales Online