A MAN stabbed his best friend 20 times in a frenzied attack over a £20 debt.
Qusai Abdalla knifed his victim, a man in his 40s, in the head, chest and arm during the horror on September 29, last year.
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He launched his merciless attack at Tag Croft, in the Ingol area of Preston, in the early hours of the morning.
Abdalla, who went by the name Omar, heartlessly filmed the aftermath and sent a video to a friend.
The callous 26-year-old later told the same associate he carried out the stabbing over an unpaid £20 debt, said Lancashire Police.
Chilling CCTV footage revealed the victim was targeted inside a property in Tag Croft.
He managed to escape and make his way to a nearby BP petrol station on Tag Lane at around 2am.
Paramedics found him collapsed with serious wounds and rushed him to the hospital where he miraculously pulled through.
Heroic members of the public also gave the victim first aid while they waited for help.
During investigations, detectives found blood inside the Tag Croft address, “though there had been an attempt to clean it up”.
Abdalla was located at a home in New Rough Hey, Preston, where officers arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder.
Forensics discovered traces of the victim’s blood on the defendant’s trainers.
He originally made no comment in police interviews, until officers showed the video footage Abdalla sent to his associate.
The 26-year-old later pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Appearing at Preston Crown Court today, the victim said the “betrayal has cut even deeper than the physical wounds” because he thought Abdalla was a friend.
In an impact statement to the court, the victim said: “Since the attack, I have experienced ongoing trauma. I suffer from frequent flashbacks and anxiety attacks, and at times I feel disoriented and unsure of where I am.
“I struggle with sleep and find it difficult to control my thoughts when I feel overwhelmed.”
He continued: “What makes this even harder is that I feel sorry for Omar, because I thought he was my friend.
“That betrayal has cut even deeper than the physical wounds.
“For the sake of a bit of money, he has damaged me mentally and physically in a way that may never heal.”
Abdalla was jailed for 12 years and 4 months.
Det Con Emily Armitage said: “This was a cowardly attack which could have easily resulted in a man losing his life… all over a £20 debt.
“I welcome the significant sentence handed down to Abdalla which reflects the seriousness of his offending and sends a clear message that Lancashire Police and the courts will not tolerate such abhorrent offending.”
