Tenant attacks landlord with knife sharpener after being thrown out of Grimsby home
Michael Bennett, 52, left the victim with a permanent scar after attacking and threatening to kill him
The victim of a knife sharpener attack needed stitches at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby after being attacked by Michael Bennett (inset) (Image: Grimsby Live and Humberside Police)
A landlord was viciously attacked with a knife sharpener in a revenge attack by a disgruntled tenant who he had thrown out of his home.
He was left with a nasty split lip injury and a permanent scar on his upper lip after Michael Bennett threatened to kill him.
The tenant was fuming about being given notice to quit after not paying his rent and after the attack, telephoned the landlord to hurl abuse.
Bennett, 52, did not take kindly to being accused of damaging a window at a Grimsby house after being told to go - but the landlord was convinced that he was responsible for the damage and blamed him for it.
Michael Bennett left his ex-landlord with permanent scarring on his lip after attacking him with a knife sharpener (Image: Humberside Police)
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Relations between the two men went from bad to worse but Bennett denied causing the damage and they later got into an argument.
Bennett was posturing and gesturing and became aggressive and when the landlord turned around to walk away in fear that he was about to be attacked, Bennett went after him.
The victim felt a blow to his face with a knife sharpener, leaving blood pouring from his face.
Bennett shouted: "I'll f***ing kill him" and kicked him in the ribs and lower back area.
He chased the man around a car that he had fallen near and hurled abuse.
The landlord suffered cuts to his upper and lower lips and needed stitches in hospital to both lips, leaving a permanent scar on his upper lip.
The landlord needed stitches for lip injuries at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital (Image: Duncan Young)
He managed to arm himself with a spade towards the end of the confrontation.
Bennett even made threats to the man by telephone in hospital but he recognised his voice.
There was also a missed call and when the landlord rang it back, he heard further threats from Bennett, who was later arrested.
Bennett, of Freeman Street, Grimsby, appeared before Grimsby Crown Court and admitted assaulting the landlord, causing actual bodily harm, on October 22, 2018.
He had previous convictions for assault causing actual bodily harm and had been jailed for that offence in 2011 for 15 months.
He had been in custody but was keen to return to living with a friend and resuming work as a deep sea fisherman.
Judge Mark Bury told Bennett: "There was plainly an issue, your relationship was non-existent.
"There was some damage to his property. He blamed you for it. You denied it. You and he got into an argument."
Bennett was aggressive and struck him with a knife sharpener.
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"He now has a permanent scar to remind him of this ugly incident," said Judge Bury.
Bennett was jailed for 14 months but because he had been in custody for about six months, was not expected to be kept behind bars for much longer.