A 24-year-old man has been found guilty of stabbing a teenager.

Knife-wielding Timothy Small plunged a butterfly knife into 19-year-old Tarin Heaton-Heather during a confrontation at an open-air swimming pool in Lewes.

Mr Heaton-Heather was left fighting for his life and needed two operations after the attack and spent five days in intensive care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

At Lewes Crown Court, Judge Guy Anthony told Small, of Hanson Road, Newhaven: "You have a quite appalling record of violence."

He adjourned sentence for six weeks for psychiatric reports. He added that he could be looking at an "indeterminate" sentence.

The jury convicted Small of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The court heard how Small stabbed Mr Heaton-Heather at a late night get-together at Lewes open air swimming pool last July.

Mr Heaton-Heather, his brother Kim and a friend Tim Houghton, travelled to the pool from Hassocks at around midnight on July 16.

Mr Heaton-Heather was taunted by a gang of around 20 for wearing a sarong and a fight broke out.

Asked why he was wearing a "skirt" he allegedly replied: "There's so many old ladies around here I thought I would wear one and blend in."

The court heard how Mr Heaton-Heather was jumped on by the group and subjected to a rain of blows.

He was grappling with Small, who sank the blade into his back.

Tarin's father Lea, 54, said today his son was still struggling to come to terms with the attack and has not resumed his music studies at Northbrook College, Worthing.

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