A waiter who stabbed a homeowner outside his property after a row about late-night noise in a residential street was jailed at Oxford Crown Court.

Bokul Ali, 25, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and was sent to prison for two years for knifing David Janes outside his home in Russell Street, Oxford, on the night of November 12 last year.

Peter Ross, prosecuting, said that Mr Janes was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital where he was treated for a stab wound in his side.

The blade cut his liver and punctured a lung causing Mr Janes to lose three pints of blood. The court was told that he has suffered psychological problems following the assault.

The stabbing followed a brawl involving Mr Janes, his son Christopher and Ali.

On the night of the attack, Mr Janes looked out his window to see three men, including Ali, taking bricks from his front garden to jack up a damaged car.

He went outside and challenged the men, and they offered to replace the bricks.

Then Christopher Janes arrived with his girlfriend and an argument flared up .

Mr David Janes grabbed Ali by his jacket when his son hit Ali in the face, knocking him unconscious.

When Ali came to he took out a knife and tried to stab Mr Christopher Janes, who was being pushed back into the house by his father, but Mr Daniel Janes was wounded by the blade.

Mr James Porter, defending, said that Ali had been subjected to racist abuse prior and stressed that Mr Christopher Janes had thrown the first punch.

Recorder Guy Hungerford said: "Whatever the provocation there was no excuse for taking out a knife and sticking it in him and the courts take a very dim view of those who use knives."