A father told police he wanted to kill his son after stabbing him in the chest with a kitchen knife, narrowly missing his heart.

Andrew Heaton, 50, walked outside as police arrived at his home in Cog Lane, Burnley, and told them: “I’ve just stabbed my son”.

Paul Cummings, prosecuting at Burnley Brown Court, said Michael Heaton visited his dad’s home on the evening of Sunday, November 28.

Police were called at about 6pm after a member of the public heard someone scream: “My dad stabbed Michael”.

Screaming could be heard coming from inside the house before someone shouted: “He’s dead”.

After being stabbed, Michael called his ex-partner, named only as Leanne, saying: “I’m going to die, my dad has stabbed me” - pleading with her to get to the house as soon as possible.

Leanne arrived and found Michael on the sofa while Heaton was sitting on the other side of the room with his head in his hands, motionless and silent.

Mr Cummings said: “She asked the victim what had happened, Michael said his father stabbed him once to the chest.

“She applied pressure to the wound, with Michael asking her ‘am I going to die?’ She screamed at him to stay awake.

“Michael said ‘I can’t believe my dad has done this to me.’”

Police found Michael on the sofa with a stab wound to the left side of his chest.

Officers and paramedics were giving first aid to Michael, and he was taken to hospital where he had an operation and managed to survive his injuries.

Heaton was taken into custody where he admitted his crimes, stating there had been problems in their relationship.

He said he had told his son not to come over to his house because of their feud, but Michael decided to visit on that November evening.

Heaton said he walked into the kitchen, grabbed a 12-inch kitchen knife, walked up to his son and stabbed him in the chest, telling officers: “He had to die, I wanted him to die”.

Mr Cummings added: “He asked about his son's condition and was told he was still alive and awake in hospital.

“Heaton said ‘I don’t know if that’s good or bad, I suppose if he’s awake it has stopped me from committing the ultimate sin'.”

Michael did not support police in their conviction, and in fact provided a letter of support for his father.

In mitigation, Mark Stuart asked the judge to impose a hospital order for Heaton, who has paranoid schizophrenia.

Dr Lucy Bacon, who has been working with Heaton, also recommended this course of action.

On the night of the attack, Heaton had been off his medication for paranoid schizophrenia, affecting his mental condition.

He has made ‘significant progress’ in Guild Lodge and hopes that this will continue.

Mr Stuart said: “The defendant is a paranoid schizophrenic. If he takes his medication he can behave properly.

“He may well be released earlier if he received a straight jail sentence.

“His interests are best served by a hospital order. Jailing him would not be to the benefit of him or the community.”

Judge Andrew Jeffries KC gave Heaton, who previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder, a hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act.

After his release, he will be subject to a section 41 restriction, due to his risk to the public, which will mean that Heaton can be recalled to a hospital if it is deemed necessary.