A man who found a place to live after sleeping rough for years let an old friend stay with him - only for his pal to launch a brutal machete attack on him following a bust-up.
Antonio O'Neill, 48, was hospitalised for four weeks after the horrific assault committed by Anthony Joyce, who he had allowed to stay at his Cheetham Hill flat.
Days after being discharged from hospital, Mr O'Neill was found dead.
His cause of death was found to be unrelated to the attack. Serious damage had been caused to his organs by alcohol and drug abuse.
After a row in the flat, Joyce hit Mr O'Neill several times with a machete, leaving him with serious cuts and a fractured ankle.
Mr O'Neill needed 'extensive surgery' before being discharged.
A few days later, Mr O'Neill was found dead.
Now Joyce, 36, has been jailed for nine years.
Manchester Crown Court heard the pair had known each other for more than a decade and had spent time in Piccadilly Gardens together.
Mr O'Neill had waited nine years to be given accommodation. He'd been at the Hambridge Close flat for 14 months prior to the attack.
The pair, described as 'chronic alcoholics', hadn't seen each other for a few years until they bumped into each other in a shop.
They rekindled their friendship and Joyce began to visit Mr O'Neill.
Joyce then asked if he could stay at the flat, with Mr O'Neill agreeing on the proviso that it would be temporary, prosecutor Nicola Carroll said.
The pair had been drinking on April 17 last year and there didn't appear to be any animosity between them.
But an argument erupted, the nature of which remains unclear.
The court was told Joyce accused Mr O'Neill of threatening him with a machete and that the argument could also have started due to a debt owed to Joyce by Mr O'Neill.
Joyce left the living room of the flat and returned with a machete, which had been left in the property by a previous occupier.
He started hitting Mr O'Neill's legs in a 'prolonged attack', leaving him with serious injuries.
Joyce threw the machete out of the window.
Despite his injuries, Mr O'Neill went to bed.
A judge said the only explanation was that the alcohol he had consumed must have numbed the pain.
The following day, a friend of the pair attended the flat and noticed they were both injured.
They told him that they had been attacked by a group of men.
Joyce called for an ambulance later that day.
It was found that Mr O'Neill had suffered multiple deep cuts to his legs, as well as a fracture to his ankle.
Just three days after being discharged following a four-week spell in hospital, Mr O'Neill was found dead in his bedroom.
The cause of his death was determined to be organ damage, caused by alcohol and drug abuse.
Police had launched an investigation and Joyce was arrested.
He later pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.
Defending, Nicola Gatto said Joyce is 'appalled' by his behaviour and that he can't comprehend how the row escalated.
She said: "These were two chronic alcoholics, who regularly squabbled about the pettiest things.
"How it escalated is beyond him."
Ms Gatto said Joyce has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, after being the victim of violence previously.
Sentencing, Judge Alan Conrad QC said Joyce, of Gorsedale Avenue, Gorton, will have to serve two-thirds of the nine-year sentence in prison.
Following the case, DC Kate Radford, of GMP's City of Manchester district, said: "The victim sustained serious head, arm and leg injuries. The leg injuries alone required 57 stitches and a brace.
"Despite the severity of his injuries, the victim initially tried to protect his friend by saying he'd been attacked by a group of men.
"I hope this case reassures victims that Greater Manchester Police will support them to tell their side of the story to ensure those responsible for crimes face justice."
