A THUG has been jailed for stabbing a driver in the chest - because he beeped his horn at him.

Max Marchant, 22, of Blenheim Chase, Leigh, was handed six years in prison for what was described as an “appalling attack” on an innocent driver.

The victim was driving his Ford down West Road, in Rochford, in August 11 this year when he came up behind Marchant’s white Volkswagen Polo.

There was no traffic in front of Marchant’s car so the victim beeped his horn at Marchant to indicate the road was clear and he could move forward.

The victim, a bus driver who had just finished a shift, was driving home and incidentally then followed Marchant down Hall Road when the two came to be in adjacent lanes.

Opening the facts at Basildon Crown Court, prosecutor Karl Volz said: “The defendant shouted aggressive words at the victim who did not hear him and shouted ‘what?’ back.

“His window was fully down and at this stage, Marchant got out of his car, walked round to the victim’s window and stabbed the car door.

“The defendant then leaned into the window and plunged a knife into the victim’s chest.”

Marchant then went back to his car and drove off at speed.

Miraculously, the victim managed to drive himself home where his mother called an ambulance and he was airlifted to hospital with a stab wound to the chest which had caused a collapsed lung.

He spent three days in hospital and medics described it as “fortunate” to have not been more serious.

In a victim impact statement, the victim said he was “petrified” during the attack and added: “I didn’t expect to be stabbed over something so trivial and petty.

“It makes me question what people are capable of.”

Marchant was arrested 10 days later and picked out of an identity parade by the victim after giving a no comment interview.

He admitted one count of wounding with intent and one count of possessing a knife at the plea hearing in September.

Sentencing him at Basildon Crown Court on Friday, Recorder Hansen said: “This was an appalling offence involving an unprovoked attack on an innocent victim who was petrified.

“As it turns out the injury was not as serious as it might have been but that was down to luck.”

He handed Marchant a six-year prison sentence and ordered him to pay the statutory charges.