A cruel thug shouted "haha, you've just been stabbed" after sneaking behind a stranger and plunging a knife into his back.

Daniel Haine, of Birchington, then “smiled and walked away” as Curtis White bled out, believing he would die after the attack in Ramsgate town centre.

Mr White and his family watched as Haine, 26, was handed a nine-year extended sentence at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday.

Prosecutors told how Mr White and his friends approached a taxi off the high street moments after a minor row with Haine’s group.

He then felt a “sharp jab”, which felt “a punch” to his back, in the early hours of April 30.

Haine could chillingly be heard saying “haha, you’ve been stabbed” before calmly walking away smiling, prosecutor Janet Weeks said.

Moments before the attack, a member of Haine’s group passed him a kitchen knife before he crept a significant distance towards Mr White.

“Mr Haine had approached from quite a long distance away - he was passed the knife by another individual," the prosecutor explained.

“He approached him from behind and stabbed him with a kitchen knife and was heard by others saying ‘’haha, you’ve just been stabbed'."

The court heard Mr White’s friend, Amanda Brockhouse, noticed he was covered in blood, laid him down and fought to stem the bleeding.

He was soon airlifted in a critical condition to London’s King College Hospital, where medics battled to treat multiple organ injuries.

Mr White was treated for a punctured lung, liver and diaphragm damage, and internal bleeding, and had his gallbladder removed during 28 days in hospital.

Haine ran away from the scene but was arrested two days later after being identified by the CCTV despite trying to evade the police.

Searches of the local area also found the coat he had worn and a balaclava. A knife was found in a flower bush.

Haine, of Station Road, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing a bladed article at the same court in August.

Mr White, who fought for his life in intensive care, continues to come to terms with his ordeal.

In a victim impact statement on Friday, he told the court he is unable to leave the house or see when his condition will improve.

“I genuinely thought I was going to die when I was told I had been stabbed - I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy," he said.

“Nobody deserves to be snuck up on and stabbed.”

Mr White described further health complications arising from his wounds in later months, alongside financial hardship after being unable to work.

Judge Simon Taylor KC branded Haine’s actions “cowardly and brutal” before passing an extended sentence considering his dangerousness.

“Your victim had his back to you, you approached him from behind with deliberation, and you stabbed him in the back," he said.

“After stabbing your victim you were heard saying ‘haha, you have been stabbed’.

“I have seen the CCTV where you can be smiling as you walk away.”

Kieran Brand, mitigating, said Haine and his group abused alcohol, ketamine and cocaine in the hours leading up to the attack.

Mr Brand said Haine was “unable to explain his actions that night” but “fully accepts he did a terrible thing”.

He highlighted Haine entered early guilty pleas and, since aged 11, has suffered a life blighted by drink and drugs.

Haine will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole, then a further three years on licence.

Haine, who has 20 offences for 15 convictions, spoke only to confirm his identity and the location of a previous armed robbery he committed.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr White’s mum called for MPs and the authorities to hold round-table discussions in a bid to tackle violent crime in Thanet.

Previously, she told KentOnline: "London’s streets feel safer than Thanet's."

The 55-year-old, who spent a month by her son's side in hospital, described the area as being in the clutches of “an epidemic of crime”.

"Our area is getting worse, the crime rate has absolutely rocketed," she said.

"Why is it allowed to keep happening? I feel safer in London than I do in Thanet.

"I won't go to Ramsgate in an evening, or Margate.

"People don't want to come here because of there being an epidemic of crime.”

Investigating officer Detective Constable Flora Bainbridge said: "This was a horrific attack leaving the victim with lasting physical and mental struggles, the result of a random violent attack.

"I am pleased Haine acknowledged what he had done despite initially trying to get away with it by evading capture.

"I hope the sentence brings some comfort to the victim that Haine will be behind bars for a long time."