A MAN who was stabbed by a colleague in a horrific attack has described his assailant's 18-month sentence as "an insult".

Father-of-two Trevor Gordon, 33, of Luton Road, Chatham, needed surgery and spent 10 days in hospital after Steven Hamilton knifed him at their workplace.

Speaking after the sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, Mr Gordon said: "Hamilton could have killed me, yet people get longer for stealing mobile phones.

"I expected Hamilton to be put away for years."

Hamilton, 35, a trainee silk-screen printer, knifed supervisor Mr Gordon at Eurotech, Crown Quay Lane, Sittingbourne, last September.

Surgeons had to reposition Mr Gordon's bowel, and he and his wife, Stephanie, 31, were plunged into debt after he lost two months of work.

In February, Hamilton was cleared of wounding with intent but convicted on a lesser charge of unlawful wounding and the case was adjourned for reports.

In the interim, Hamilton was diagnosed as suffering from a personality disorder.

Defence lawyer Mark McDonald told the court that Hamilton was genuinely sorry for what he had done and was prepared to go to prison to take his punishment.

Recorder Vivian Ramsey QC said: "This, in my view, was a serious and sudden attack on a colleague for which no proper explanation could be given."

Hamilton, of Green Porch Close, Sittingbourne, did not give evidence during his trial but told police that there had not been any problems at work that day. He claimed not to know the victim and refused to say why had had not been at work during the afternoon after the attack.