Portuguese lorry driver jailed after stabbing man in the back five times during extreme road rage incident on M1 in Northamptonshire
A Portuguese lorry diver has been jailed after an extreme road rage incident on the M1 in Northamptonshire, during which he stabbed a man in the back five times.
Mykhaylo Kuzyan, of Oliveira de Frades, Portugal, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on September 8 – the day he was due to stand trial.
The 47-year-old pleaded guilty to Section 20 – wounding without intent on the grounds of self-defence, dangerous driving and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place before the jury was sworn in.
The charges relate to an incident on March 14 on the northbound carriageway of the M1.
Kuzyan switched lanes abruptly causing another HGV driver to react. He swiftly moved into lane three and flashed his lights in a show off disapproval at the manoeuvre, according to police.
Kuzyan took exception to this and when the other driver left the motorway, he followed him into the Watford Gap services and used his vehicle to block the exit road, preventing the other HGV from leaving.
Northamptonshire Police say the victim – a man in his 40s – got out of his vehicle, picked up a brick, and banged it against Kuzyan’s lorry, causing damage, before walking away.
Kuzyan then drove his lorry towards the victim before getting out and stabbing him five times in the back. A member of the public intervened and broke up the incident.
Detective Constable Abigail Jones of CID West, who led the investigation, said: “Such violence has no place in our society. What started as a minor incident escalated very quickly, resulting in this senseless act.
“As a force, we continue to highlight the dangers of knives – they are exceptionally dangerous weapons, and the fact is, this incident could easily have had fatal consequences. Thankfully on this occasion, the victim was not seriously injured.
“The sentence handed to Mykhaylo Kuzyan shows the seriousness with which his actions have been taken, and I hope the fact he is now behind bars demonstrates this and reassures the communities we serve.”
Kuzyan was sentenced to 22 months in prison. He has also been disqualified from driving in the UK for 35 months and ordered to pay £187 surcharge in full upon his release. A deprivation order was made in respect of the knife.