April 18, 2018 11.45 am This story is over 77 months old

Man jailed for stabbing former housemate in Lincoln

He inexplicably went on to enter a stranger’s house and stabbed their sofa.
Sergejus Filurinas has been jailed for two and a half years.

A 63-year-old man who stabbed a housemate during a row over rent was jailed for two and half years.

Sergejus Filurinas admitted using a flick knife to wound the former friend after coming back drunk to their home in Cranwell Street, Lincoln.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Filurinas left the property after stabbing the man in his abdomen but then knocked on the door of a total stranger who was watching television with his wife.

The court was told Filurinas pushed his way in to the house near Lincoln High Street and stabbed the couple’s sofa with the same flick knife after they fled in to their kitchen for safety.

Sam Skinner, prosecuting, said the first incident happened when Filurinas came home drunk at 7pm and got in to an argument with another tennant about rent payments.

Mr Skinner told the court: “There was fighting inside the house and the victim fled in to the garden.

“Filurinas pursued him and stabbed him with a flick knife causing a one inch wound to the lower left side of his abdomen. The victim did not see the knife and saw blood.”

Mr Skinner said Filurinas left the property but then “inexplicably” knocked on the door of a total stranger while he was still drunk.

Filurinas was arrested by police after leaving the second house. During interview he admitted carrying out the stabbing but said he did not intend to cause serious harm. He admitted bringing the flick knife, which had a four inch blade, with him from Lithuania.

The court heard Filurinas had just one previous conviction for driving with excess alcohol.

Karen Walton, mitigating, said Filurinas had been a long term housemate of the victim after moving to the UK eight years ago.

Miss Walton told the court Filurinas had always worked but suffered a breakdown in recent months after he was unable to find employment.

Filurinas, of Cranwell Street, Lincoln, admitted offences of unlawful wounding, affray, possessing a bladed article and criminal damage on March 6 this year.

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC said he accepted Filurinas was not normally a violent man but added that he had to take in to account “the current public disquiet at the carrying of knives.”