A Tauranga man who stabbed a stranger in the head and neck with a steak knife has been jailed for five years and 11 months.

Joshua Pratt-Keatley, 27, arrived at Tauranga District Court today knowing he would be going to jail after pleading guilty on July 19 to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault on a child.

Joshua Pratt-Keatley has been jailed for almost six years for stabbing a stranger on the street.

In court today, lawyer Tony Rickard-Simms explained how Pratt-Keatley received a call from his ex-partner on June 5 saying there was someone outside her house and that her daughter's bedroom window had been smashed.

'She had visited a friend's house on a separate occasion and one of her children had broken a cellphone.

'The owners asked for $80 to replace the phone and when my client's ex-partner was unable to come up with the money, she was threatened and had received several abusive texts,” said Tony.

'On June 5, my client's ex-partner thought there were people outside her home and called my client. He went over to her house in an attempt to protect his family.”

Tony said both his client and the victim, who was 400metres from his house, had been drinking before the stabbing happened.

The court heard how the 37-year-old victim had been walking home from a Greerton bar and had nothing to do with the incident on Rawiti Street in Greerton when Pratt-Keatley ran out and stabbed him in the neck and head.

Judge Ian Thomas said the victim then went home and went to sleep.

'It wasn't until about 4am when he woke up and saw blood everywhere that the victim realised what happened. He called his sister and he went to hospital.
'He was in serious risk of not surviving because he had lost so much blood, but doctors were able to get fluids into him.”

Judge Thomas described the Pratt-Keatley's attack as violent and random, but also out of character.

'You are a hardworking man who loves his family and this was out of character for you. A psychologist couldn't even find a reason for the offending, although alcohol and anger do seem to be an issue for you.”

He sentenced him to five years and 11 months.