A painter and decorator accused of nearly stabbing a man to death has walked free from court.

Peter Simmons, 45, was cleared by a jury at Lewes Crown Court following a week-long trial.

Mr Simmons, who denied the charge, showed little emotion as the jury of 11 men and one woman returned their unanimous verdicts after deliberating for less than an hour.

Judge David Rennie told him: "You have been found not guilty of any wrong-doing."

As Mr Simmons was led from the dock, he could be heard crying out: "Oh thank God."

Former boxer and body builder Stephen Lavender, 38, claimed he was stabbed five times by Mr Simmons in a cul-de-sac in East Grinstead in January last year.

Mr Lavender said he called at Mr Simmons's house in Newton Avenue to tell him to stop bothering a woman neighbour who complained about him making unwelcome advances.

Mr Lavender, who had been drinking heavily, knocked on the door at about 11pm, although he had never met Mr Simmons or spoken to him before.

He claimed Mr Simmons attacked him and he fell unconscious to the ground. He claimed when he came round about two hours later he struggled to a friend's home nearby where he discovered he had been stabbed. The knife had caused serious injuries and his intestines were hanging out of the wounds.

Mr Lavender, who admitted in court he has a reputation as a street fighter, suffered five knife wounds, including two in his back. He needed surgery for a punctured lung and lacerated spleen as well as having six inches of damaged bowel removed.

During his evidence he denied he was stabbed by someone else during another fight on the same night.

Mr Simmons told the jury he was terrified when a drunken stranger came knocking at his door shouting abuse and threats. He said after a scuffle he and his former partner, Yana Horton, fled in fear.

Mr Simmons denied stabbing Mr Lavender and said he managed to push the other man away and get inside the house. He said together with Ms Horton they got out through the back garden and drove to Ashdown Forest because they were so scared.

He said they did not alert police because they were in such a panic.

He said after he was accused of the stabbing his life was turned upside down and he lived in fear. He said he heard rumours that he would be the victim of a revenge attack and would be shot and his house set on fire.

During cross-examination he said it must have been a coincidence that he was involved in a fight with a man he had never met who was stabbed by someone else a short time later.

Mr Simmons, now living in Campbell Close, Uckfield, denied attempted murder, wounding and intimidating a witness after he was accused of shouting threats to Mr Lavender when he saw him in the cul-de-sac four months after the stabbing. He was cleared of all charges.