A father from Deal is still coming to terms with a frenzied and unprovoked knife attack which left his face scarred for life.

Richard Bacon’s nose was almost sliced off with a kitchen knife and he was stabbed in the neck, face, arm and back at his then home in William Pitt Avenue in April.

Very lucky

His attacker, Darren Snape, 39, of Canute Road, Deal, received an indeterminate prison sentence for the public protection at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday. He was ordered to serve at least three years before he can be considered for parole .

Mr Bacon, a taxi driver, told the Mercury he was very lucky to get through the ordeal and has had to endure claims made in court that he owed Snape money, which he said was untrue.

He said: “I’m still receiving counselling now and I’m having nightmares. It was horrible.

“It was a totally unprovoked attack and I was lucky to get through it.

“He turned up at my address with a kitchen knife.”

“I’ve been made homeless because of what has happened and I’ve had my daughter on the phone to me in tears.”

The court heard how a concerned neighbour tried to intervene and when told by Snape to go away, said: “His nose is hanging off Darren.”

At one stage, Mr Bacon said to Snape: “What have you done this for?

“My kids have got to look at my face and will want to know what has happened to me.”

‘Lenient’

Snape was convicted of wounding and Mr Bacon said he was expecting his attacker to be given a ten-year sentence.

He described the ruling as “lenient”.

“This is one offence down from attempted murder and he has been given a three-year sentence.

“I was stabbed in the face, neck, arm and back and this guy has been given a three-year sentence.

“What sort of message is this going to give people about knife crime?” he asked.