by Danny Boyle

An 85-year-old man could spend the rest of his life behind bars after being jailed for five years for stabbing his wife.

Frail David Tait left Valerie Tait in a life-threatening condition when he attacked her with a knife in Smeeth.

The victim, who is in her 70s, suffered serious injuries to her arm after being stabbed in a row at their home in Pound Lane.

Mrs Tait said she had endured 50 years of mental and physical abuse at the hands of Tait, who now has pancreatic cancer.

Tait was jailed at Canterbury Crown court, where a judge also banned him from ever contacting his wife again.

The pensioner, who used a walking frame and could hardly stand in the dock, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent after a trial last month.

Hard-of-hearing Tait stood in the dock with a hand cupped around his ear while he was being sentenced.

As he was taken away, he asked a security guard: "Are we finished? How much did I get? I couldn’t hear him."

After being told the length of his prison sentence, open-mouthed Tait said: "Five years?"

Shaking his head, Tait added: "Unbelievable. So this is British justice."

Patrick Maggs, prosecuting, told the court Mrs Tait was stabbed by her husband at their home on November 23 last year.

The victim is said to still have no feeling in her left arm.

Mr Maggs said: "From the very outset of this incident being reported, Mrs Tait had indicated a loss of feeling in the arm in which the injuries were suffered.

"She says in her victim impact statement that there is continued loss of feeling in her arm."

Tait will serve half his five-year sentence in prison, less 193 days spent in custody on remand.

Alex Haines, defending, said: "It wasn’t something that was planned. He didn’t wake up that morning and decide to attack his wife. It built up over time.

"He is a man of good character, with no previous convictions. This is despite, of course, what his family say about his domestic violence."

Judge Nigel Van Der Bijl told him: "I have to sentence you for stabbing your wife.

"At this stage it is not easy to say how serious the injuries will be in the long term, but clearly she is suffering.

"It is against a background of violence in the marriage and I can’t ignore that."

The judge imposed a restraining order preventing Tait from ever contacting his wife – directly or indirectly.

It also bans him from returning to Smeeth for 10 years.