A customer in a popular city pub was repeatedly stabbed in an afternoon brawl, a court has heard.
The victim suffered a punctured lung in the attack and needed to have a chest drain inserted.
Konrad Kolbuszeuski knifed the man in back when violence erupted amongst a group of Polish nationals in a Swansea pub.
Swansea Crown Court heard the incident took place at Queen's Hotel in city's Maritime Quarter on March 3 this year.
Ian Wright, prosecuting, said at around 4pm that day a group of Polish men met at the bar for a drink.
The gathering was initially peaceful but then an argument broke out between Maciej Workowski and members of the group which quickly turned into a fight.
The court heard punches were thrown and chairs knocked over and then 33-year-old Kolbuszeuski, who was standing behind the victim, stabbed him twice in the back with a "thin metal blade".
The melee continued and Mr Workowski was stabbed again, this time in the arm, before he fled the pub.
Mr Wright said there were other customers present in the bar at the time of the brawl and they described the incident as "extremely disturbing" to witness while one of the barmaids on duty said it was a frightening experience.
The victim subsequently went to hospital where five stab wounds were treated – two deeper wounds to his back and three to his arms. He suffered a collapsed lung as a result of the attack and medics had to fit a chest drain.
The defendant was arrested on March 10 and gave a "no comment" interview to officers. The court heard the weapon he used in the assault has been neither identified nor found.
Kolbuszeuski, of William Morris Gardens, Port Tennant, Swansea, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm, affray, and possession of an offensive weapon.
The court heard the matter had originally gone to trial but Kolbuszeuski had missed the court date because he was out of the country. As a result a warrant was issued and he was arrested at Folkestone harbour as he returned to the UK from Poland.
Huw Davies, for Kolbuszeuski, said his client had lived in Britain since 2007 and his sister and mother also lived in Swansea.
He said the defendant had not intended to avoid his trial but had simply got his dates wrong and he noted that Kolbuszeuski was in the company of the victim Mr Workowski when he re-entered the country at Fokestone.
Judge Paul Thomas QC said "something clearly sparked an argument" among the group in the pub that day and he said the way the defendant stabbed his victim in the back had been "cowardly".
Kolbuszeuski was jailed for 18 months and will serve up to half of that in custody before being freed on licence.
