Teodor Apavaloael of Ipswich jailed for knife attack

Teodor Apavaloael was upset when he was told he could no longer live at the flat in Woodbridge Road in Ipswich after losing his job.

He told the victim "I’ll show you who’s the boss" before lunging at him with the serrated knife, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The victim grabbed the blade of the knife and suffered a deep cut to his hand which needed nine stitches, said Mitchell Cohen, prosecuting.

He said the cut was 4-5cm long and stretched from the palm of the victim’s hand to between his thumb and forefinger.

Apavaloael, 34, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on November 11 last year.

Teodor Apavaloael attacked the man at a flat in Woodbridge Road, Ipswich (Image: Suffolk police)

Sentencing him, Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley said that Apavaloael, who has been in custody for four months, would have to serve half of the 16-month jail term and would then face deportation to Romania.

She said grabbing the bread knife and thrusting it at the victim was an "extremely stupid thing to do".

Steven Dyble, for Apavaloael, said his client, who required the aid of a Romanian interpreter during the sentencing hearing, had come to the UK lawfully and had been working until he was sacked after asking his boss for some time off and for an advance on his wages. 

He was told by his boss that he had to move out of the flat he shared with some co-workers immediately, even though he had paid a month’s rent in advance and was legally allowed to stay there.

Mr Dyble said his client had foolishly picked up the bread knife during an argument with one of his co-workers about him being in the flat.