A father who stabbed a man following a row at a nightclub in Salford has been jailed.
Marlon Thompson, 34, from Moss Side, has been locked up for six-and-a-half years after being found guilty of the attack by a jury.
It's thought there had been a long standing feud between the two, which ended in Thompson stabbing the man twice to the chest.
He was rushed to hospital and has since made a full recovery, but says the mental scars remain.
A judge said that it was a 'great tragedy' that Thompson, who was described as a 'family man', went out armed with a knife and committed a 'cowardly and unprovoked attack'.
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Manchester Crown Court heard that Thompson had been able to 'walk away...from provocation' from the victim in the past following previous incidents.
The pair were both at a music event being held at Salford Events Hall.
In the early hours of February 4 last year, the pair came across each other and had a minor altercation at about 4am, it was said.
At one point Thompson attacked him, and the victim soon began to feel extreme pain after realising he had been stabbed.
The man was taken to Salford Royal Hospital by friends who were with him in the club.
His condition was described as serious but not life threatening.
The court heard he has since made a full physical recovery, but a victim impact statement read out in court revealed he still has nightmares and flashbacks.
David Toal, defending, said that Thompson did not have any previous convictions other than road traffic offences committed in 2013.
He said the defendant is a father with 'stable domestic arrangements', who has an education and has worked.
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Mr Toal said Thompson has a partner, who was also present at the event where he committed the offence.
Judge Patrick Field QC said: "All of that makes this a great tragedy, in a sense. It is less explicable."
Mr Toal told the judge that the attack 'was a one off incident'.
"The defendant has the ability to walk away from trouble and walk away from the provocation," the barrister said.
He told the court that the victim had conceded that he had been 'both violent and threatening violence' towards Thompson previously.
"Sadly there has been a reaction on February 4 last year," Mr Toal added.
Sentencing, Judge Field told Thompson: "You are a young man who has lived a decent life in this country for nearly 20 years since you arrived here, taking advantage of educational opportunities, and no doubt working hard.
"All of that, together with what I have learned about your settled domestic circumstances, the fact that you are a family man, makes it almost inexplicable that you should become involved as you did in a cowardly and unprovoked attack with a knife.
"He (the victim) was on this occasion a blameless victim.
"The injury in this case could have been so more serious, it could have been fatal."
Thompson, of Selworthy Road, Moss Side, was unanimously found guilty of one count of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following a trial.
