VIOLENT thugs who exacted 'revenge' by stabbing their victim in the heart and chest will spend a total of 36 years in prison.

Faisal Iftekhar was dealt with life-threatening injuries after he was attacked by Saqib Mansoor and Yaseem Ikram in Whitley late on September 26 last year.

The 25-year-old suffered stab wounds to his torso, resulting in damage to his heart, lung and bowel. His right hand and left bicep were also injured on Foxhays Close.

He had operations, spent a number of weeks in intensive care and Reading Crown Court heard on Thursday how he still suffers from 'neurological' damage.

Both men were on bail at the time and an 'impressionable' Ikram, 18, returned to 'torch' the car and dispose of the weapon he had used to carry out the attack.

Ikram suffered burns to his hands and face and later called for an ambulance. He repeatedly lied about the cause of his burns.

During the sentencing, judge Paul Dugdale struggled to understand how Mansoor could do something similar after he had been stabbed and airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital.

He added: "When he [Iftekhar] was released from remand and you [Mansoor] were out of hospital, you saw him drive passed your house. You were determined to exact revenge on him.

"You [Ikram] smashed the passenger window and you drove the knife into his chest and into his heart.

"Your face [Mansoor] was not covered. You wanted people to know who had brought vengeance on your behalf that day. You had gone through such a terrible experience and then you inflicted it on somebody else.

"You will both be spending a long time in prison and you can be thankful that Mr Iftekhar lived, otherwise it would have been even longer."

The judge was particularly concerned about Mansoor's violent history and said presented 'significant harm' to the public after hearing how he had broken the jaw of his ex-girlfriend.

He is already serving a 42-month sentence for similarly violent offences, including assault and a fight which saw a man's ear 'severed'. Mansoor, who was described as the 'prime mover' by the judge, was due at the same court for separate offences on the day the attack, but claimed he was feeling unwell.

Mansoor, 28, of Basingstoke Road, Reading, was sentenced to 21 years in prison, with the option of serving the final three years on licence.

He was convicted after a four-day trial of one count of GBH, while Ikram was convicted of one count of GBH, one count of possession of bladed article and one count of perverting the course of justice.

Ikram, of Cresswell Close, Reading, received a sentence of 15 years and he serve 10 years before a licence period is considered.