knife was handed a nine-month prison term after Magistrate Ed King decided not to send the defendant for possible heavier sentencing.

Senior Crown Counsel Brian Calhoun had argued that the seriousness of the wounds and the man's history of violence merited sentencing in the Supreme Court.

But Mr. King said he doubted the extent of the cuts and gave Lorin Richard Smith nine months -- the maximum allowed in his court being one year -- for attacking N'Cai Lambert.

Mr. Lambert remains in a stable condition in a general ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital following the incident last Thursday. He was in intensive care for a time.

Photographs of the injuries -- which showed wounds on his head, body, hands and a partially severed ear -- were shown to the Magistrate before sentence was passed.

Mr. Calhoun said: "These are very serious injuries, there are 36 stab wounds to the chest and head, had he not managed to get his hands to block off many of the injuries the victim may not be with us today.'' But Mr. King said it didn't seem as though any of the cuts were actual punctures, to which Mr. Calhoun replied that the victim was still in hospital because of the wounds.

Smith, 32, of Soundview Road, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and possession of cocaine.

Mr. Calhoun said the incident blew up when 20-year-old Lambert, of West End Lane, was paged by Smith, who wanted to know if he was selling drugs.

They arranged to meet and Smith was given twists of crack cocaine. He was later given more drugs, worth a total of $500, and said he would pay later.

Later he said he wanted more drugs to a total value of $1,000 and Lambert stopped by his house.

Both men went inside the house, Smith returned with a knife and began to stab Lambert with it.

A fight ensued and the victim was beaten about the head with the knife's broken handle.

He pleaded with Smith "not to kill him'', but the defendant fetched a hammer and began hitting him with it.

Lambert was also kicked in the head and told Smith he would tell Police he was "jumped'' if he didn't kill him. Smith then helped him outside and a neighbour called the Police.

Lambert was bleeding profusely and told officers he was dying.

Smith at first denied the attack but later admitted stabbing and attacking Lambert to calm him down after he had come to his house demanding payment for the drugs.

He said Lambert had hit him first with a helmet.

Mr. King called for common sense in the sentencing, adding the two had been struggling together.

But Mr. Calhoun said it was accepted that although the complainant had swung with his helmet first, it was Smith who had fetched a nine-inch knife and hammer to attack the victim.

Smith pleaded for leniency, saying he was sorry for the upset he had caused his family, Smith's family and the victim. He apologised for the injuries he inflicted on Lambert.

Smith was given nine months for unlawful wounding and three months for possession of cocaine, to run concurrently.

Court date: Lorin Richard Smith arrives at Magistrates' Court yesterday, prior to receiving a nine-month sentence for stabbing a Sandys man 36 times.