A trail of blood led police to the flat where a knife attack took place.

Graham Wilson was left scarred for life after being stabbed by Martin Richardson following a row.

Police found the wounded victim on a bench in Dunoon, Argyll, and officers later followed a blood trail to the property.

Richardson, 26, was originally charged with attempting to murder Mr Wilson on April 9 last year at Ballagan Buildings on Auchamore Road.

His guilty plea to a reduced charge of assaulting him to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life was accepted at an earlier hearing.

A judge was told Richardson had five previous convictions for assault, including one with a knife, and two further convictions for the carrying of knives.

Lord Mulholland told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You are no stranger to knives and have an appalling record of violent assault for a young man."

The judge jailed Richardson for five years and two months for the latest attack and ordered that he be kept under supervision for a further three years.

The court heard Mr Wilson had been at the flat watching a football match with another man when Richardson and others arrived. All of them were drinking.

Richardson and Mr Wilson later got into an argument in the kitchen that became more heated and a scuffle broke out.

Mr Wilson left the kitchen and went into the living room and sat on a couch but Richardson followed him armed with a knife.

The victim stood up and as he did so Richardson tried to stab him with the weapon.

Mr Wilson gripped his attacker's hand in a bid to defend himself but injured his own left hand on the knife.

Richardson grabbed him and they fell on to the couch and began fighting.

During the struggle Mr Wilson was on top of Richardson and felt blows to his back but did not realise at the time that he had been stabbed.

Mr Wilson managed to leave the flat and was seen staggering from side to side in a confused state.

He tried to lie down on a road but a passer-by helped him to the bench.

Police arrived following a report of a disturbance and were told he had been stabbed and an ambulance was called.

The victim was taken to hospital and found to have four stab wounds to his shoulders, which required 12 sutures. He received a further ten stitches and also had a chest drain inserted.

Unemployed Richardson, formerly of John Street, in Dunoon, was traced to a house in the town the day after the attack and detained.

Defence counsel Tony Graham QC said Richardson intended to take part in any programmes made available to him in prison.

He told the court: "He realises that intoxicants are not the way forward."