A father-of-six stabbed a man five times with a screwdriver after he believed his children had been assaulted, a court heard.

Francis Wiltshire struck Marcin Jarosz three times on the head with a pole, causing it to break, before grabbing the screwdriver from his car and stabbing him in the back.

The Polish born victim, a security guard “of considerable stature”, escaped with superficial injuries in the attack in Chatham.

Wiltshire, whose children include triplets, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent before he was due to stand trial.

Jailing the 40-year-old, of Squires Court, Eastchurch, for four-and-a-half years, a judge told him: “I consider it to be as lenient as I possibly can.”

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Jarosz had been drinking after finishing a shift and was with his dog in Glencoe Road, Chatham, on April 15 this year.

Two of Wiltshire’s children saw the victim’s dog urinating and made a comment. One of the boys claimed Mr Jarosz hit him. They then called their father.

“You decided you would immediately attend the scene and sort him out,” said Judge Philip Statman.

There was an altercation and Wiltshire struck Mr Jarosz with a painter and decorator’s pole.

“Thereafter, and significantly, and what is so troubling in this case is you returned to your vehicle and took out a screwdriver,” said the judge.

“With the scant information you had with you, someone who was in control would have taken a very different course.

“Sadly, you lost your control and you stabbed out with the screwdriver inflicting five wounds to him - four to the back part of his shoulder and one to the left kidney area.”

The judge said Wiltshire could clearly be heard on mobile phone film shouting to his children to get back into his car.

“You must understand well fine that conduct of this kind in a public place puts ordinary folk in fear and can easily get out of control,” Judge Statman told him.

“It is very good fortune that your victim’s wounds were superficial. He was taken to hospital and released later that day. He suffered as a result of what you did.”

Wiltshire had decided to lead a better life and settled down with his partner of a few months, who has five children of her own and is expecting his child.

“That is the tragedy of this case,” said the judge. “I accept you acted spontaneously. However wrong that turned out to be you thought your actions were necessitated because you were going to the aid of two children.”