A pensioner whose neck was viciously slashed with a Stanley knife blade by a former neighbour told a court he bears him no ill-feeling.

In a remarkable act of compassion, 72-year-old Paul Hayman said although he felt John Lowe should "do his time", he held no grudge against him for inflicting the near-fatal wound.

A court heard the 12in long and 4cm deep cut ran from behind the victim's left ear, down to his collarbone, and close to a major artery.

Lowe, 51, was said to have carried out the attack "in revenge" for him being accused by Mr Hayman of damaging a garden fence.

Just minutes earlier he warned his ex-partner of 27 years, who lived next door to the pensioner, that he was "going to do him".

Having banged on Mr Hayman's door, only to be robustedly told to leave and shoved down the garden path, Lowe first struck him to the top of his head before slashing his neck.

But in spite of his injury and being left with psychological effects, Mr Hayman told the court in a victim personal statement: "I come to the conclusion that he should do his time and get treatment but I hold no grudges."

Lowe, formerly of Heath Road, Barming, near Maidstone, Kent, was jailed for 10 years today after admitting wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The former Bank of Credit and Commerce messenger, said to have an "enduring" drink problem, had denied the more serious charge of attempted murder and this was accepted.

Passing sentence, Judge Charles Macdonald QC said although Lowe had shown genuine remorse, he had left his victim with on-going effects from his "close to lethal" injury.

He added: "I am satisfied you took those blades to that address intending to use them, and you did use them. There was plainly an element of premeditation.

"This was a vicious attack on a man, then aged 71, who could have easily been killed."

The court heard retired Mr Hayman was about to have dinner at his home in Heath Road when he heard a loud thud on his front door just after 7pm on October 2 last year.

He opened it and was confronted by Lowe. Prosecutor Ben Irwin said Mr Hayman realised immediately his former neighbour had been drinking.

Lowe repeatedly called the pensioner a "****ing grass" before Mr Hayman "rather robustedly" told him to leave and closed the door, added Mr Irwin.

However, when Lowe continued to bang on his property, Mr Hayman reappeared, told him to "just p*** off" and pushed him down his front path and out of the gate.

"The defendant was ranting incoherently and Mr Hayman could not understand him.

"In his words, he was 'ranting and raving in a drunken stupor'," added Mr Irwin.

"He then felt something sharp on the top of his head. He caught a glimpse of something shiny but could not say what it was or see what it was.

"Almost immediately he felt something sharp to the side of his face and the sensation of blood pouring from his neck.

"As the defendant walked away, Mr Hayman shouted 'Look what you've done to me, you ****ing ****hole'.

"A neighbour came out to see if he was okay. As the defendant walked away he looked at the neighbour and said 'grass'."

The court heard Mr Hayman's injury could have easily proved fatal and he had to be taken to the major trauma unit at London's King's College Hospital.

Mr Irwin told Maidstone Crown Court: "This was the deliberate infliction of a potentially catastrophic and life-changing injury.

"He travelled to the victim's home address having armed himself and expressed a desire to 'do him'. It was not a spur of the moment event.

"It was an unprovoked and gratuitous assault on a defenceless man on his own doorstep, involving a weapon and more than one blow.

"It was motivated by a desire to seek revenge in respect of the earlier incident involving something as innocuous as a garden fence."

"This was a vicious attack on a man, then aged 71, who could have easily been killed" -Judge Charles Macdonald

Lowe was arrested about two hours later. He had self-harmed with razor blades but was compliant.

"As he was taken to hospital for his own injuries he told the police 'I done something stupid earlier. I done the deed. I bought the blades today. Everything ended today'," said Mr Irwin.

In his victim statement, Mr Hayman spoke of being unable to sleep, becoming upset when shaving, and being so self-conscious of people seeing his neck that he would walk his dog very early each morning.

He also described seeing Lowe's face 'in doorways and around corners' before realising he was not really there.

"He said it is like a sense of loss, and can be moving through life when it comes back to him like when someone has died," added the prosecutor.

Lowe had lived with his partner Carol Fox next door to Mr Hayman for 10 years but they split five weeks before the attack.

Before calling at Mr Hayman's home he had been to see Ms Fox hoping for a reconciliation.

But when she asked him to leave Lowe made his threat 'I'm going to do him next door' and then went to see Mr Hayman.

Lowe has one previous conviction for drink-driving in 2010 and a caution in August last year for a domestic incident relating to Ms Fox.

The court heard she described him as unpredictable and aggressive when he drinks.

Tom Stern, defending, said Lowe had also worked as a messenger and porter for the Kent-based Wellcome Trust but was forced to give up work on medical grounds in his late 30s.

His conditions include dystonia, a neurological movement disorder syndrome, and he said Lowe was struggling emotionally in the run up to his attack on the pensioner.

But Mr Stern added Lowe had expressed deep remorse and victim empathy, and that there was an element of impulsiveness to his actions that day.

"The visit to the street that day wasn't about seeking out Mr Hayman at all. It was about seeking a reconciliation of a relationship," he told the court.

"He says 'I am deeply sorry for what has happened. This is not in my character. No one can hate me as much as I hate myself. I would like to say sorry'."

After the hearing, Detective Constable Jerry Chapman said: "This was a sudden and unprovoked attack that has left a lasting impact on the victim who could have died from these injuries.

"Lowe will now have a lengthy period in prison to consider the consequences of his actions.

"I would like to thank the victim and witnesses who have assisted us throughout the trial process."