Lee Craig Richardson , 41 , ( pictured ) left his neighbour with a punctured lung after stabbing him just below the heart in a row over wheelie bins . A drunk man who stabbed his neighbour in the chest in a row over wheelie bins has been jailed for five years . Lee Craig Richardson flew into a rage after being confronted when he kicked his neighbour 's bins in anger outside his home in Whinney Banks , Middlesbrough . The 41-year-old stabbed the victim , who has not been named , just below the heart causing him to suffer a punctured lung . Richardson told police there had been a long-running feud between him and his neighbours over 'quite petty ' issues and said he had initially kicked the bins because he was annoyed . The victim was left needing a blood transfusion and could have died in the attack , Teesside Crown Court was told . He was forced to spend six days in hospital to recover . Richardson admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm , assault by beating and possession of a bladed article on Friday and was jailed for five years . Prosecutor Emma Atkinson told the court that there had been previous disputes between Richardson and his neighbours leading up to the attack on November 11 last year . She said : 'There 's been a great deal of animosity between the two parties , more recently in relation to wheelie bins . ' She told the court how Richardson was drunk when he came out of his home in the early hours and kicked his neighbours ' bins . He was confronted by the woman who lived next door to him and responded by kicking her in the shin , the court heard . Her partner then followed her outside to calm the commotion and was knifed in the lower chest by Richardson . The neighbour did not realise what had happened to him at first and did not see a knife . He punched Richardson to the floor before he went inside , the court heard . Ms Atkinson told the court : 'As he got into his kitchen he became acutely aware of the fact that he had in fact been stabbed . ' Police were called and officers found Richardson in his living room with a cut to his temple . He was persuaded to let go of an eight-inch knife which he was holding , and another five-inch blade was found in his pocket . He told officers there had been 'quite petty ' issues between the neighbours but said he could not remember exactly what happened . Robert Mochrie , defending , said : 'There is no escaping the fact that this could have ended up being a murder charge . It 's perhaps the good fortune of both the complainant and the defendant that the heart was n't touched by the blade . ' Mr Mochrie said there was a high degree of 'slow-burn provocation ' where Richardson was 'pushed and pushed and pushed ' . Richardson admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm , assault by beating and possession of a bladed article when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court ( pictured above ) and was jailed for five years . He claimed Richardson 's life was made ' a living misery for many , many months ' with anti-social behaviour , verbal threats and one allegation of physical assault . He told the court it built up upset and frustration in a man of good standing who had worked to make something of himself . He said Richardson petulantly kicked the bins and that matters had simply spiralled out of control . Mr Mochrie also told the court how Richardson took the kitchen knife 'in case there was any confrontation ' , not to seek out the victim and stab him , and acted on the spur of the moment without thinking . 'It 's a real tragedy that he has landed himself if this position but he knows there 's no escaping that , ' Mr Mochrie said . The judge , Recorder Jamie Hill QC , heard how it was the first offences committed by Richardson in 13 years before jailing him . He said : 'This is a classic and appalling example of what can happen when neighbour disputes get out of hand . It 's a mercy that [ the victim ] was n't killed and that you 're not facing a murder charge quite frankly . ' He said there was no provocation for the assault itself as Richardson started the chain of events that night with his 'childish action ' . ' I accept that you are genuinely remorseful for everything that 's happened , ' the judge added .
Lee Craig Richardson , 41 , stabbed neighbour just below the heart in row . He lashed out after being confronted for kicking wheelie bin outside home . His victim was left with a punctured lung and needed a blood transfusion . Score: 6