Victim lost nearly five pints of blood

8:17pm Friday 4th July 2008

Two brothers who nearly killed a man by stabbing him after a drunken argument have bene jailed indefinitely to protect the public.

Ronnie Charlett and Anthony Bartlett repeatedly knifed sales executive Simon Pratley in the garden of his sister's home in Norman Smith Road, Greater Leys, in January.

Mr Pratley, 27, lost almost five pints of blood during the attack after being stabbed three times in the back and once in the forearm.

One of the wounds punctured his lung and caused internal bleeding while another was described as a "through" wound because the knife went straight through his arm.

Oxford Crown Court heard both Charlett, 23, and Bartlett, 28, had a string of previous convictions for violence.

David Bright, prosecuting, said the attack erupted after the pair asked Mr Pratley's friend Lee McGinn for a favour a few days earlier, but did not believe him when he claimed he could not help.

Mr Bright said: "They entered the front garden intending to attack Mr McGinn, but Simon Pratley intervened.

"Mr Bartlett punched Mr Pratley, who fell down, and kicked him. Mr Charlett joined in. Bartlett swung at Mr Pratley, connected to his right arm, and then both defendants kicked and stamped on Mr Pratley.

"Mr Charlett struck at him with a knife. Both ignored his pleas for mercy. It is, at least, alleged Mr Bartlett threatened to stab him and kill him and spoke about killing his mother."

Charlett, who was on the run from a bail hostel at the time of the attack, admitted wounding with intent.

Bartlett, of Norman Smith Road, denied the same charge, but was convicted after a three-day trial last month.

John Simmons, defending Charlett, said: "It seems it was something seething under the surface for a very short time. It was not as though it was a premeditated attack."

He added Charlett had told him his father said when he was younger he would end up killing someone and he could not believe he nearly had.

Tony McGeorge, defending Bartlett, said: "It is clear his problem has been drink. Hopefully he will turn his life around."

Mr Recorder Simon Blackford handed the pair indefinite sentences for the public's protection and ordered Charlett to serve a minimum of three years and nine months and Bartlett a minimum of five-and-a-half-years.

Referring to Mr Pratley, he said: "He was extremely lucky he survived the attack. Towards the end of the attack he was screaming at you to stop."

Mr Pratley, also of Norman Smith Road, said: "I am very happy. At the end of the day these people need to be off the streets. They are a real danger. How I survived it I do not know."

A police spokesman said: "Mr Pratley was stabbed outside his home simply because he tried to step in to break up a personal dispute between the two defendants and another man.

"Charlett and Bartlett both have a history of violent offending; in this instance they used extreme violence to solve a minor argument."

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