Lincs: Man jailed for 10 years after he attacked his ex-girlfriend with a £1 stanley knife

Thang Van Nguyen, 27, admitted attacking his former girlfriend Thi Thug Vu with a stanley knife after she asked him to remove his clothes from their flat.

Miss Vu, 31, suffered two deep cuts to her left leg and an accidental 10 cms wound across her face after Nguyen went to her flat with a £1 knife he had bought for his own protection, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

The court was told Nguyen worked and lived with Miss Vu, who runs the Skegness Nail and Beauty Bar in Roman Bank in the resort, but began binge drinking after discovering Miss Vu was texting another man from London.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said Nguyen went to Miss Vu’s flat with the intention of persuading her to take him back but a row broke out between the two of them and the knife fell from his pocket as they struggled.

Mr Scott said: “This was a sustained attack on a female in her home with the use of a knife. The injuries sustained were serious.”

Nguyen admitted deliberately causing two cuts to Miss Vu’s left leg and then accidentally wounding her face with the knife as she struggled.

Mr Scott added: “As soon as he saw the cut to her face he dropped the knife and said he was sorry.”

Nguyen, who had a previous conviction for assaulting Miss Vu, telephoned the ambulance and police himself.

Miss Vu was taken to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital where she had 22 stitches in the two wounds to her leg before she was transferred to Lincoln County Hospital for treatment for her facial injury.

In a victim impact statement read out in court Miss Vu said she was concerned that she would be scarred for life.

Terry Boston, mitigating, insisted Nguyen had bought the knife for his own protection and only used it after it was kicked out of his pocket by Miss Vu.

Nguyen, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on January 16.

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC also made a restraining order which prevents Nguyen from contacting Miss Vu or going to her place of work or home.