A persistent violent attacker from Oldham stabbed a love rival five times after seeing him when they were both buying drugs.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard Lee Cudworth struck in September last year.

His victim had recently been released from prison when he approached a flat in Oldham with the intention of buying drugs.

The resident of the flat recognised the danger and said: “I wouldn’t come in here if I were you.”

Cudworth then appeared and began to attack the man and was kicking him when he was on the ground.

He then stabbed him five times in his arms and legs.

The victim managed to get out of the property and was found on the grass.

Police asked who had carried out the attack and he told them “Lee Cudworth.”

When officers got to the flat an effort had been made to clear the scene.

Cudworth said when arrested: “When somebody speaks wrongly they get assaulted.”

Blood belonging to the victim was also found on Cudworth’s leg.

Cudworth had been due to go on trial accused of grievous bodily harm yesterday but the victim, a serving prisoner, refused to be taken to court for the case.

The judge had been ready to issue a warrant to bring him to court today, but Cudworth then pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault by wounding.

Prosecutor Jane Greenhalgh accepted this.

She said there was “bad blood” between the two men as Cudworth “at some points seems to have had a relationship with” the "former partner" of the man he attacked.

She added: “In total there were five separate wounds that were noted by the doctor who saw him at A&E."

She also revealed Cudworth had three previous convictions of this kind from 2003, 2012 and 2017.

In 2012 she said he had been involved in a group attack where a pipe had been used to attack someone.

And in 2017 he had been involved in a group attack where a chisel was used.

Representing the 37-year-old, defence counsel Ian Metcalf said: “He went there to take crack, so did the complainant.

“He tells me he is sick of the prison scene and of this lifestyle.”

He also said the injuries were not life threatening and Cudworth had not brought the knife to the scene.

Imposing a sentence, recorder Jasper Lasker said: “The bad blood between you appears out of a third party, a woman with whom you both had a relationship.

“When you saw the complainant arrive you obviously took it into your head here was a man that needed to be taught a lesson.

“It was a prolonged attack, injuries were not life threatening, although they could have been.”

He ruled that Cudworth, currently a serving prisoner and previously of Springhead Avenue in Oldham, posed a "serious risk of harm to the public."

He jailed him for 38 months, and ruled he must serve an extended period of 22 months on licence after this.