Now that the man who stabbed him in the back has been declared legally insane, American victim Scott Jable said he felt more sorrow than hatred towards his attacker.

Mr. Jable was stabbed by Lorenzo Prince Robinson while window shopping with his wife and baby on Front Street on the morning of October 28, 2002. Yesterday, a jury gave an unanimous verdict in less than hour that Robinson was not criminally responsible and could not control his own actions because he is a paranoid schizophrenic.

Speaking from his home in Chicago, Mr. Jable told The Royal Gazette that he will return again to the Island because he and his wife have always loved Bermuda.

"It's very friendly and a great place to visit," he said.

He expressed gratitude to a group of Bermudians who raised more than $4,000 to bring the Jables back for a free vacation following the stabbing.

"We had difficulty dealing with Government but that is universal around the world. Knowing that Robinson was locked up we would come back. But if he was still walking the streets, I do not think I would come back. Personally, I want him to be far away from me," he said.

"Hearing that he has a mental disorder has really changed my opinion of him as a person. There was a lot of anger that he almost took my son's father and wife's husband away. But knowing that he was found insane, I feel more pity for him than anything. I hope he can get treated."

Mr. Jable said he was lucky to be alive and yesterday was "feeling okay".

"I have my good days and my bad, but I'm still here and I thank the Lord for that every day. Every doctor who looks at me asks me if I know how lucky I am," he said.

He said Robinson could not have placed that knife anywhere else in his back without killing him.

"The blade was one centimetre away from my aorta and missed my renal artery by four centimetres. The blade went right between the two. If he had nicked either of those I would have bled to death right there on Front Street," he said.

He said he had been in contact with Crown counsel Juan Wolffe who told him Robinson was probably going to be put in a secure mental hospital for the rest of his life.

"I told Mr. Wolffe that I just hope the hospital is not near Chicago," Mr. Jable said.

"I know (Robinson) has not had a very good life. My only concern is with someone at Westgate could have recognised that he did have a disability. That could have prevented him going back into town with his illness."

However, he wished Robinson could have been seen by a psychiatrist and with the psychiatrist could have been deemed not fit to return to society.

"I feel bad for the guy. As a rational person I really feel bad for him. But I wish I never had to cross his path. The next guy might not be so lucky," he said.