A man feared he would die when he was stabbed in the chest on Christmas Eve over a drugs debt, a court heard.

Scott Busby, 27, had been drinking heavily when he smashed his way with a hammer into the flat in West Pottergate, in Norwich, where the victim was staying, to confront him over money owed for drugs, Norwich Crown Court was told.

Andrew Herd, prosecuting, said that said Busby forced his way into the property and told him he was going to kill him before stabbing the victim in the chest causing a lung injury.

He said as Busby launched the attack, the victim thought he was going to die and told Busby: 'You have stabbed me at Christmas.'

Busby fled the scene after the stabbing and the victim was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where he underwent surgery to repair damage to his lung and had to spend seven days in hospital recovering.

Mr Herd said the victim did not want to make any impact statement about the incident but did say to an officer that he had feared for his life during the attack and was in a lot of pain with the injury he received.

Busby, of Paragon Place, Norwich, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent on December 24 last year and was jailed for 11 years.

Sentencing him, Judge Maureen Bacon said that Busby had forced his way into the address where the victim was staying and had threatened to kill him: 'You took to that property a knife and used that knife to stab him, plunging it into his chest.'

She said that his actions had been motivated by vengeance, as he claimed he owed him money for drugs: 'You felt the victim had disrespected you.'

She said he posed a high risk of harm to members of the public and described Busby as someone who resorted to violence.

David Stewart, for Busby, said the stabbing was a single blow and it was a short-lived incident.

Mr Stewart said Busby had been drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels that night and said: 'He is clearly shaken by what he has done.'

He said that while on remand, Busby had put his time to good use and had attended various courses.

He said that Busby now wanted to try to make something of his future.

'He has a genuine desire to make something of his life.'