Audrius Taujanskas's stabbing jail term appeal rejected
A Norfolk man who drove to a party and stabbed a man he mistakenly believed had abused him, has had his appeal against sentence dismissed.
Audrius Taujanskas, from King's Lynn, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in September after admitting wounding with intent at Norwich Crown Court.
He had challenged his sentence at London's Criminal Appeal Court with his lawyers arguing it was "too long".
His plea was rejected as a judge said the attack could have been fatal.
Taujanskas, a 25-year-old Lithuanian, of Hockham Street, had previously been told he deserved every day of his jail term and that it was "not excessive".
Mr Justice Lindblom was told the attack happened at a party in Tennyson Avenue, King's Lynn, in March last year.
'Stabbed wrong man'
He said Taujanskas received an abusive phone call from a man who was at the party, who swore at him and said he wanted to fight.
Arming himself with a kitchen knife, Taujanskas drove to the party and stabbed Robert Okuszko, mistakenly believing he was the man he had argued with over the phone.
Mr Okuszko was taken to hospital, where he remained for 10 days receiving treatment for the stab wound.
Taujanskas' lawyers argued there was no lasting serious injury and it was a case of mistaken identity.
Dismissing the appeal, Mr Justice Lindblom said the sentence was justified for the serious nature of the attack which could have been fatal.
The judge, sitting with Lord Justice Richards and Mr Justice Kenneth Parker, said: "That he stabbed the wrong man is no mitigation. The injury he caused was serious and could have been much more so - it could indeed have been fatal."