A TEENAGER who stabbed a love rival 1cm from his heart after plunging a kitchen knife into his chest was jailed for more than five years.

David Young, 19, was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he attacked 23-year-old Brandon Masterson because of “bad blood” between the pair.

The defendant, formerly of Newbridge, resented his victim because of a relationship he had with his ex-girlfriend.

Young marched up to the complainant and stabbed him through the driver’s side window as he sat in his car.

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Cardiff Crown Court heard it was “lucky” he hadn’t killed Mr Masterson, from Cwmcarn, in May in the Pantside area of Newbridge.

Alex Greenwood, prosecuting, said: “The victim suffered a 2cm wound to his chest. It was 1cm from his heart.”

Mr Masterson was taken to Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital but was soon discharged without serious injury and has made a “full recovery”.

Mr Greenwood said: “It was an extremely fortunate state of affairs.”

He told the court: “There was a suggestion of some sort of bad blood between the two.

“There had been a relationship between Mr Masterson and the defendant’s ex-girlfriend.

“Snapchat conversations took place and there were threats made by Mr Young.”

Mr Greenwood added that on May 28: “The defendant was in his car and saw the defendant walk straight towards him.

“He pulled a kitchen knife he had concealed and stabbed him through the window on the driver’s side before he fled.

“The prosecution say he deliberately set out to confront his victim with a knife.”

Young, now of Bryncoed Terrace, Penpedairheol, Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon, a 7-8-inch knife.

Kevin Seal, mitigating, asked the court to take into account that his client had no previous convictions recorded against him.

He added: “It is to his luck that no serious injury or death was caused. The victim has made a full recovery.”

The court was told that Young and the woman who had a relationship with Mr Masterson were now separated and had a child together.

Judge Richard Twomlow told the defendant he had been responsible for “pathetic swaggering bravado” in his messages to the victim.

He said: “This was a very deliberate act because you had, in the complainant’s words, a beef with him.

“This was an extraordinarily dangerous thing to do. There was a significant degree of premeditation.”

Young was locked up for five years and three months.