A drunken thug who caused a man serious injuries when he stabbed him and pushed him out of a first floor window has been locked up for eight years and eight months.

Soon after the horrific violence, Luke Punt attacked an elderly man in the street leaving him bruised and distressed.

A judge told the 20-year-old he had come “within a hair’s breadth” of being given an extended sentence for public protection, which would have meant he would not have been considered for release until he had served two thirds of the term.

Punt, of Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, denied attempting to murder Tony Neal and his guilty plea to wounding with intent was accepted.

He admitted assaulting retired university lecturer Derek Ruffhead, now 80, causing him actual bodily harm.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the attack on Mr Neal, 56, on September 8 last year was at a house for “vulnerable people at risk of offending” in Boxley Road, Maidstone, where Punt also lived.

Punt, then 19, stabbed the victim several times in his room and sent him hurtling out of a window onto the pavement.

He was taken to London’s King’s College Hospital with injuries including a fractured skull and vertebrae.

Mr Ruffhead had been walking along Wells Road near the prison when Punt asked him: “Are you waiting?”

"It is almost a miracle that the victim in this case did not die from the injuries inflicted upon him..." - Det Con Debbie Prescott

He replied “No.” He was then attacked with Punt using a martial arts kick while he was still standing. He was knocked over a wall.

One witness had seen Punt “sparring with the air” shortly before.

Judge Philip Statman said he was only just persuaded that “this time” an extended sentence was not appropriate.

He added he wanted it recorded that should Punt - who has previous convictions for robbery and assaults - offend in a similar way again, such a sentence would be imposed.

Detective Constable Debbie Prescott said: "It is almost a miracle that the victim in this case did not die from the injuries inflicted upon him, either from the stab wound or the broken bones he suffered from falling out of a first floor window.

"Instead he spent a lengthy amount of time in hospital and is still feeling the effects of his injuries to this day.

"Luke Punt was clearly in a fighting mood that day, as his first elderly victim found out when he was kicked in the face in a completely unprovoked attack.

"If that wasn’t bad enough, Punt then went and stabbed someone with apparently little thought of the consequences.

"Whatever the motivation for his actions it is likely alcohol played a major part, but that is no excuse. He is clearly a danger to the public and deserves to be behind bars."