A MAN who was stabbed twice in the heart and must spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair says his attacker’s ten-year prison sentence is too short.

Seweryn Jedrisiak, a Polish national who had been living and working in the York area, was stabbed seven times by Jay Anthony Power in a city-centre attack last summer.

Power, 31, of no fixed address, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Jedrisiak on July 23 last year. The attack happened in an area off Carmelite Street, beside the River Foss.

Mr Jedrisiak, 28, was taken to York Hospital in a critical condition for emergency surgery after two of the seven stab wounds penetrated his heart. Although he survived, one of the knife wounds caused damage to his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed from the waist down and wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.

Mr Jedrisiak, who will never be able to have children, remains in the spinal unit at Pinderfields Hospital, near Wakefield.

He was in court to hear the sentence and later told police officers involved in the case that he did not feel the sentence was long enough, compared to the sentence he had to live with.

Sentencing Power, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, described the stabbing as a “callous attack” which had clearly changed Mr Jedrisiak’s life.

He also commended two North Yorkshire Police officers – Detective Sergeant Amanda Grundy and Detective Constable Jennifer Cartwright – for their meticulous and thorough investigation.

Power was located and arrested by police within an hour of the initial 999 call and was detained at Fulford Road Police Station where he initially denied any involvement in the incident.

In court, Power admitted attacking Mr Jedrisiak, claiming he was affected by a lifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse. He admitted stealing the knife in a burglary, earlier in the same day.

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Costello, head of York and Selby area CID, said: “I congratulate both DS Grundy and DC Cartwright for their outstanding work in securing justice for Mr Jedrisiak, who we all hope can move on from this traumatic experience and start to rebuild his life.

“Violent crime and public confidence remain our priority, and offenders brought before the court for these type of incidents can expect substantial terms of imprisonment.”