A bitter son who stabbed his “estranged” father 14 times after they were reunited has been jailed for 13 years.

Lee Simpson was cleared of attempted murder but convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Peter Simpson was sitting in the driver’s seat of his car in Warden, Sheppey, when his son suddenly attacked him from behind.

Bleeding heavily, he managed to get to a nearby restaurant where he worked and was taken to hospital for a punctured lung, fractured rib and other wounds to his chest, head, face and a hand.

Simpson drove off in his father’s Ford Focus and crashed into other cars before ending up in a ditch.

The 25-year-old electrician denied the charges. He also denied having a bladed article and aggravated car-taking but was also convicted of those offences.

He was banned from driving for seven-and-a-half years.

Judge Charles Macdonald QC said there was “significant premeditation” in Simpson taking a Stanley Knife with him from Essex to attack his father.

He added that Simpson effectively “left him “for dead”.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Simpson had been estranged from his father for many years following the break-up of his parents’ marriage.

Mr Simpson parted from his wife Mandy when their son was aged three or four. More than 20 years later he saw his son by chance in a pub in Dagenham, Essex, and they spoke briefly.

Afterwards, an arrangement was made via Facebook that he would visit Mr Simpson and his wife Belinda at their home in Bay View Gardens in Leysdown.

Mrs Simpson collected him from Sittingbourne railway station on January 23 this year.

Although he was due to stay for three days, he had no luggage with him.

After they arrived at the house, they chatted and then went to the Castle Inn pub in Eastchurch High Street. They left shortly before 10.30pm and Mr Simpson dropped his wife at home.

He then drove his son to Warden Bay Convenience Store next to Real Spice restaurant where he worked.

Mr Simpson went into the store, leaving his son in the back seat of the car. He bought cans of beer and cigarettes before returning to the car.

Shortly after Mr Simpson drove off he felt a blow to the back of the head. He stopped the car and was struck again.

“At that time he didn’t realise he was being stabbed and thought the blows were punches until he felt blood running down his head,” said prosecutor Martin Yale.

“He put his left hand to the back of his head to protect himself and sustained wounds to the back of his hand.

“He went to get out of the car but the defendant grabbed his left arm. He managed to pull away and head towards Real Spice.”

He was taken to King’s College Hospital in London and treated for his injuries. He discharged himself against medical advice the next morning and had follow-up appointments at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Simpson, meanwhile, had driven off erratically in the car. He reversed at speed in Imperial Drive and crashed into three other cars. He drove off again and plunged into a ditch in Shellness Road, Leysdown.

Simpson, of Crow Lane, Romford, claimed his father attacked him first with the knife and he reacted in self defence.

Mr Yale said Mr Simpson’s DNA profile was not on the handle of the knife, but his son’s was.