Sittingbourne knife attacker jailed for causing lifelong injuries

A drunken knife attack in Sittingbourne has resulted in a man being jailed for more than 7 years.

Alex Whitby, 23, had been drinking with three colleagues, including his victim, on the evening of 27 October 2022.

Having had a minor altercation while in the town’s High Street, the victim drove Whitby back to a property on Leigh Road.

Inside, the pair had an argument before Whitby stabbed him twice, once each in the chest and stomach. Attempting to flee upstairs, Whitby grabbed his victim’s shirt and pulled him backwards, causing him to fall down the steps and hit his head on a radiator and the floor.

Officers and paramedics attended and the victim was taken to a London hospital by air ambulance, where he remained for treatment until December of that year.

Whitby, of The Coneries, Loughborough, was arrested at the scene and later charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He pleaded guilty in December 2025 and, at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 28 September 2026, was jailed for 7 years and 9 months.

Detective Constable Hannah Beale said:

‘What began as a drunken altercation has left a man with injuries that will impact him for life. ‘Whitby’s violence, which did not end when his victim tried to flee, show him to be a volatile offender who poses a danger to society. ‘The strength of our investigation has seen him put behind bars for a long time, and we hope this sentence brings his victim some closure.’