A vicious thug slashed his lover with a knife leaving her with "near fatal" injuries.

Then as his victim lay in a hospital bed, Steven Thomas, 43, began plotting to get her to drop the charges.

The savage slashing left his fiancee Eve Lawlor with six deep and "life changing" wounds in the horror attack outside Eynsford Malt Shovel pub.

Now Thomas - who has more than 100 offences - has received a 14 year sentence after he admitted wounding with intent and having a knife in public.

Judge Adele Williams ordered he go to prison for 12 years and then added another two years which he must serve on licence when he is eventually released.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how days before the incident in July last year, he had been seen on a train in an argument with Ms Lawlor

Prosecutor Peter Alcock said that when Thomas was arrested he claimed he had spent the night in London.

But in his pockets, officers found a letter he had penned to Ms Lawlor that night offering to marry her and pleading for another chance.

And while he was on remand in prison he had contacted her asking for her to make a statement blaming another man for the attack, Mr Alcock said.

Mr Alcock told how in July the couple had been heard arguing outside the pub by landlord Allen Claxton and his pregnant daughter Rachael.

He said Rachael was in an upstairs room at the pub and heard a woman shouting : "Help me!"

Thomas was then seen walking casually away as people went to to the aid of Ms Lawlor, telling people: "It's not me. I haven't done anything" as blood was coming from the gashes to to her face, back and spine.

Ms Claxton ran down stairs and went to the aid of the stricken victim who was losing consciousness on a number of occasions.

Ms Lawlor was taken to a London hospital where an expert said the wounds, which have left her scarred, could have been fatal had they not been treated.

But despite her condition he was plotting to get her to make a false statement blaming an unnamed ex-lover for carrying out the attack.

Judge Williams told him: "You could have killed her as there was a potential of death and it was a sustained attack with a weapon."

She said he had coerced his ex-lover into making the false statement.

She ruled Thomas, of St John's Road, Sevenoaks was dangerous and posed a significant risk to other people.

And the judge gave Rachael - who was 38 weeks pregnant when she went to Ms Lawlor's aid - a £400 High Sheriff Award.

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