A Portslade man has been jailed for six years for stabbing and blackmailing a woman.
Paul Ratcliff, 31, of Carlton Court, Carlton Terrace, Portslade, was sentenced to four years for wounding with intent by a judge a Hove Crown Court.
He was also jailed for two years for blackmail when he appeared in court on Monday (20 June).
Ratcliff repeatedly stabbed his 62-year-old victim on Christmas day last year having blackmailed her in the period leading up to the attack.
He admitted both offences at an earlier hearing.
Detective Constable Stewart Cameron, the Sussex Police anti-victimisation unit in Brighton, said: “This conviction illustrates how seriously the police and courts take domestic abuse and just how serious that abuse can be, whether directed at a partner or a family member.
“Victims of domestic abuse often hope that their abuser will change or stop their behaviour but this is rarely the case.
“Invariably the abuse gets more frequent and often increases in severity, which is why it is essential that people suffering domestic abuse seek help and contact the police.”
