A boxer who tried to murder a friend in a frenzied knife attack has been jailed for 15 years.

John Brazil, 22, stabbed his pal 26 times after a night out in Sittingbourne on Remembrance Day last year.

He was arrested in a Derbyshire bedsit three-and-a-half weeks later after appearing on a Most Wanted list.

After the attack victim Ryan Abbott woke up in hospital from an induced coma to discover he had been knifed in his chest, groin and buttocks.

Brazil, 22, formerly of Barrow Grove, Sittingbourne, who did not give evidence, had denied attempted murder at his trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Mr Abbott, 24, has no memory of the attack, in Manor Road, Rushenden, after meeting up with Brazil in a Sittingbourne nightclub.

Prosecutor Catherine Donnelly claimed Brazil had intended to kill his friend of nine years.

She told the jury the reason for the attack or its motivation were unclear, but that Brazil was "tired, possibly drunk, high on coke, and lost it" with Mr Abbott.

The defence claimed that some of the injuries were caused by Abbott's girlfriend Stacey Blythe, but she denied the accusations.

On his arrest former Westlands School pupil Brazil claimed he was the victim of a knife attack and had acted in self-defence.

The court heard Brazil and Mr Abbott had not seen each other for two to three years when they bumped into each other in Life nightclub on Saturday, November 10 last year.

They had trained at the same boxing gym and Mr Abbott, from Iwade, later told police he recalled chatting with his friend and there were no problems between them.

They spent the night socialising and this led to Brazil attending the victim’s house where they continued to talk.

Shortly after midday a dispute took place in the living room which resulted in the attack.

Brazil - who was on prison licence at the time - smiled after the judge told him he was given a 15 year term - of which he has to serve a minimum of 10 years.

And when he is released he will have to serve another four years on licence.

Police officers lined the room at Maidstone Crown Court as Brazil's family stormed out shouting.

Judge Philip St John-Stevens told Brazil: "You are dangerous" after hearing how he had been sent to prison in August 2015.

He had armed himself with a knife and confronted people who had come to his home and ended up stabbing one in the chest.

Charles Langley, defending, said: "But for Mr Abbott's actions in getting a knife this would not have happened."

He claimed the two men had grappled and Brazil had been injured before getting the knife and inflicting the wounds.

Det Con Andrew Jobes, who led the investigation, said: "Brazil subjected his victim to a savage attack which left him with serious injuries that required urgent medical attention.

"His willingness to suddenly and repeatedly use a weapon on a person he had been socialising with shows him to a volatile and highly dangerous offender.

"There can be no tolerance for people who choose to use a weapon to assault another individual and we will always take the most robust approach possible to ensure such offenders receive justice.

"I am pleased that we have been able to secure a strong custodial sentence which means Brazil is unable to harm other innocent members of the public."

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