by Keith Hunt

A bitter dispute between two men ended in violence when one of them lashed out with a sword.

Danny Penfold almost cut off David Bignall’s middle finger in the attack in Sittingbourne in the summer.

Now, the father-of-five, of Lapwing Close, Minster, is facing a jail sentence after admitting wounding with intent.

The prosecution offered no evidence against his father David Penfold, 60, of Bell Farm Lane, Minster, on the same charge.

Maidstone Crown Court heard there had been a build-up of ill feeling before the incident in Meads Avenue on July 2.

David Ross, prosecuting, said both Penfold, 39, and Mr Bignall, 28, had many previous convictions.

The victim saw Penfold’s father driving his lorry in the town. He then saw Penfold running towards him carrying what appeared to be a 4ft sword in one hand and a pool cue in the other.

Mr Bignall ran towards his grandmother’s house but Penfold caught up with him and hit him “many times” with the sword, shouting threats to kill.

Mr Ross said the motivation for the attack seemed to be that Mr Bignall had verbally abused Penfold while they were in police custody.

The victim was taken to hospital and transferred to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, where he underwent a seven-and-a-half hour operation.

The prosecutor said the finger was only held on by a small amount of soft tissue.

He also had a fracture to an index finger and cut to his right forearm.

“The victim is particularly upset that the assault occurred in front of his children,” he said. “They find it difficult to sleep.”

Mr Ross said Penfold, a scrap metal dealer and tree surgeon, had 45 previous court appearances for 83 offences.

Judge Philip St John-Stevens said there had been a loss of control by Penfold, which drove him to be more concerned about the protection of the public.

Adjourning sentence to a date not before January 24, he told Penfold, who made protests from the dock: “I am not dismissing your frustration.

"I want to understand the motivation and pass the right sentence."

Susan Rodham, defending, said Penfold had apologised for his actions: “He says whatever had gone on before does not justify his actions.

“He said he was completely out of order. He just wants to live in peace once he has served his sentence."

Penfold was remanded in custody.