Man chops off housemate's finger with sword in noise row

During a psychotic episode at their shared house in Stafford Road, Shirley, Darren Cleaver also hacked into the head of his housemate's terrified wife.

The 51-year-old then almost disembowelled himself - taking a photo of his exposed intestine and sending it to his wife who had left him hours earlier.

Scars caused when Darren Cleaver attacked a husband and wife in Shirley (Image: Supplied)

Jailing Cleaver at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Nicholas Rowland said the 'wholly unprovoked attack' had had a 'profound effect' on Ravi Gajjar and Sonam Suthar, who had come from India to study software engineering.

As well as Mr Gajjar's life-changing injury, both have been left with permanent scars and were forced to abandon their careers, the court heard.

The judge said: "The lack of insight in this case is troubling. You had suffered what you felt was a slight the day before over a dispute over noise.

"You said you would sort it out tomorrow and that is what you did."

Scars caused when Darren Cleaver attacked a husband and wife in Shirley (Image: Supplied)

On June 8 last year, an argument broke out in the communal kitchen over noise.

The next day, after being dumped by his wife, Cleaver held the huge blade to Mr Gajjar's neck and demanded the couple apologise to him, dragging him into the corridor when he refused.

Cleaver then began "wildly swinging the sword around", chopping off Mr Gajjar's finger and slicing Ms Suthar's forehead down to the bone before they escaped.

The police cordon in Stafford Road (Image: Newsquest)

Cleaver then turned the sword on himself and stabbed it into his abdomen, exposing part of his intestines, before taking and sending the gruesome photo.

Police arrested Cleaver at the scene and he was initially charged with attempted murder - later pleading guilty to two counts of wounding with intent.

Mitigating, Barry McElduff told the court his client had Paranoid Personality Disorder and Persistent Delusional Disorder according to a doctors report.

He said: "There is no history of behaviour like this at all.

"He is now on antipsychotic medication. There is no suggestion he has been behaving poorly since that."

Injuries caused when Darren Cleaver attacked a husband and wife in Shirley (Image: Supplied)But Judge Rowland said: "The difficulty is Mr Cleaver’s attitude to this offending. It is not whole-hearted acceptance.

"There is a significant risk of serious harm of you behaving in this way in future irrespective of the medication that you are now taking."

Cleaver was jailed for six years with an extended licence period of three years and for the sword to be confiscated.