A 16-YEAR-OLD boy who stabbed a man twice in the head and once in the chest has been sent to custody for three years and four months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how victim Robert Cardwell, 27, was left with a knife embedded in his forehead after the attack by 16-year-old Nathan Thompson.

He collapsed and spent five days in hospital after the attack in July.

Thompson, of Queen Street, Accrington, admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Hilary Manley, prosecuting, told the court Mr Cardwell, who knew the defendant quite well, was at a house party with friends in Great Harwood.

All parties had been drinking alcohol.

At some point it came to the victim's attention that some CDs and Nintendo games were missing and appeared to have been taken by Thompson.

Miss Manley said there was a row and Mr Cardwell went for the defendant, grabbed him around the scruff of his neck and pinned him to the stairs. He then let him go and Thompson went into the sitting room, threw a pint glass and another row followed.

The householder was trying to calm things down and the defendant punched out at her. This made Mr Cardwell grab the defendant again, the court heard.

The prosecutor said Mr Cardwell felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and saw the defendant with something. He thought it was a knife. The victim was then stabbed in the forehead.

Mr Cardwell felt whatever he had been attacked with had snapped off and was still stuck in his head. Another man at the house pulled it out. The victim realised he had been stabbed in the chest and collapsed.

Thompson had left the property and was later arrested nearby. Miss Manley said the victim had suffered a two-centimetre long vertical wound and a collapsed lung which had to be drained. His forehead was stitched.

Thompson was arrested and claimed he had been acting in self defence.

Bob Elias, defending, said it was conceded only a custodial sentence was appropriate in the case.