Man bit and stabbed friend over 'silly' argument
Cleveland PoliceA man who repeatedly bit his close friend's face and stabbed him during a "silly" argument has been jailed for four years and three months.
Sean Miller launched the attack after the men had been drinking and watching films together at the defendant's cabin in the grounds of his parents' Middlesbrough home, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The victim, who Miller initially tried to blame for the onslaught, said he could "not comprehend" what went through Miller's mind.
Miller, 35, was initially charged with attempted murder but admitted intentional wounding.
The pair had been drinking in Middlesbrough on 18 October 2025 before returning to the cabin, prosecutor Catherine Silverton said.
After watching some films, Miller suddenly began acting "deranged" and, "without provocation", punched his friend, the court heard.
'Did I kill him?'
The pair wrestled with the victim managing to hold Miller to the ground, at which point Miller cried and apologised, the court heard.
The friend let go and Miller got up, grabbed a knife and lunged at the man, the court was told.
The victim suffered a hand injury when he grabbed the blade and another when Miller stabbed him in the side as the pair grappled.
Miller, who had previous cautions for violence and domestic abuse, and a conviction for battery, also bit into the man's ear, nose and eyebrow, Silverton said.
The melee ended when the blood-soaked victim managed to flee through a bedroom window, with a passing motorist spotting him in the road and coming to his aid, the court heard.
While she called 999, Miller also phoned police to say his friend had attacked him with a knife and "tried to kill" him.
When he was arrested, Miller "asked several times 'did I kill him', 'is he dead', 'did I get any of his organs'," Silverton said.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said Miller had been his "very close friend", adding: "I cannot comprehend what goes through his head to cause so much harm to someone.
"I worry about his mental state. Looking back it was only a matter of time before Sean did this to someone."
The victim said his face was disfigured and he remembered the attack every time he wok up and looked in the mirror.
In mitigation, the court heard Miller had substance issues which contributed to bad mental health.
Judge Francis Laird KC said the men had been "good friends for many years" but, during a "silly" disagreement", Miller began the violence and used a "highly dangerous weapon".
