A thug has been jailed for 15 years for leaving a man with life-threatening injuries in a row over drugs.

Owen Lane was cleared of attempted murder but convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Under an extended sentence the 22-year-old father will have to serve two thirds of the term - 10 years - before he will be eligible for parole. He will be on licence for a further four years.

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Victim Rotimi Edwards said he also believed he was attacked because he joked about Lane’s clothes being a mixture of Nike and Adidas.

The “minor disagreement” happened at a house in Singleton, Ashford, in the early hours of June 4.

Lane grabbed a carving knife from a block and thrust it into Mr Edwards with such force that it went right through his body, damaging his liver. His gall bladder had to be removed.

“He felt what he describes as the most immense punch in the stomach,” said prosecutor Dominic Connolly. “He felt the blade go into his stomach with immense force.

“He felt it twisting as it was inside him. He looked down and could see only the handle protruding from his stomach. Emergency surgery was carried out which saved his life.”

A judge told Lane he had shown no remorse - as demonstrated when he left court to be taken to cells. He replied: “Cheers - smile on my face.”

Lane’s violent past was revealed after the unanimous verdicts by the jury of seven women and five men, who were out for just over four hours.

It was also revealed he was on bail at the time of the stabbing for another alleged serious offence of violence which will be tried in May next year.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Lane launched the attack after Mr Edwards, known as Timi or Tim, accused him of stealing his cocaine.

During the evening the victim, from London, drank heavily, took cocaine and handed the drug out to other guests.

In the kitchen of the rented house in Lakemead he asked Lane if he had taken his drugs. Lane became angry and Mr Edwards shrugged it off.

Lane, who using lines of cocaine at the party, did not let the matter drop and as Mr Edwards was about to leave he felt an “immense punch”.

He staggered into the kitchen with the handle of the knife sticking out of his abdomen.

Another guest, Sadie Barrett, cradled him in her arms as he bled profusely and went with him to William Harvey Hospital. He was transferred to King’s College Hospital in London.

Lane, meanwhile, ran bare-chested from the house after his top was ripped in a struggle with party hostess Amy Revell.

He took the knife with him and it was never found, despite a search of Singleton Lake.

Abigail Penny, defending, submitted there was a lack of premeditation and it was a spur-of-the-moment incident.

VIDEO: Police at the scene in the aftermath of the stabbing

“While this was a very unpleasant incident, we are dealing with a single blow,” she said. “I ask that you do not find him dangerous in the context of the offence.”

Judge Charles Macdonald QC said there had been “plenty of drink and drugs taken by all concerned” at the party.

Lane, he said, took it badly when there was a minor disagreement over the drugs. The knife passed completely through Mr Edwards and his life was only saved the intervention of surgeons.

“In the aftermath of your stabbing, a 19-year-old young woman was left to cradle a potentially dying man in her arms trying to apply pressure to wounds which bled copiously on her and on the floor,” said the judge.

“Although a total stranger, she went with him to hospital. Her reward for this was a long distressing cross-examination as you attempted to escape justice.

“Others in the house were appalled. You ran off, disposed of the knife and left a man to his fate.”

Judge Macdonald said Lane had convictions involving loss of temper including a street confrontation with a knife.

The jury had not been told about other crime reports which included a domestic incident where he threatened to “slice” people and in a pub involving a glass as a weapon.

“This satisfies me you present a risk of further violent offending,” said the judge. “The knife was twisted by you in the wound specifically to do maximum harm.”

After the hearing, Detective Sergeant Fiona Mattholie from the Kent & Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: "I am very pleased with this result of our investigation and would like to praise and thank the victim and witnesses who went through this difficult trial.

"Lane is a very violent individual and will now be behind bars for a long time."