A SOUTHAMPTON man who stabbed his victim in the stomach after being dragged into a family dispute has been jailed.

Jajar Swalli stabbed a man from a rival family in the stomach with a "sharp implement" when a fight broke out near his family home.

His victim spent nine days in hospital and was left with a “long vertical scar”.

Swalli, 28, of Shirley Park Road, appeared before Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday facing charges of grievous bodily harm.

He previously pleaded guilty.

The court heard how there had been a dispute between Swalli's brother and the members of another family.

Swalli had been at home with his parents and the brother in question when a car arrived on May 9, 2018.

A “group of five” from the rival family approached their house.

Swalli had initially tried to calm the confrontation down but a “back up” car with further members of his own family arrived on the scene.

“The situation near the house deteriorated”.

This "culminated in Swalli stabbing his victim in the stomach”.

Meanwhile, another member of the rival family is said to have suffered superficial injuries to his arm.

The court heard how two knives were recovered from the scene but there was no evidence that they were used.

And, that Swalli must have taken a sharp implement out of the house.

Based on a statement read out in court the victim said he was left with a large vertical scar.

He "was unable to keep food down and found the pain very difficult”.

Furthermore, he “suffered nightmares” and "made the decision to move out of the area”.

Defending, Gemma White said: “This was not Swalli's fight and he was not the instigator."

Mitigating factors include, he has no previous convictions, suffers from severe bipolar disorder and has "low cognitive abilities".

Swalli also accepted that "he had acted over the top"

The situation is said to have arisen from a dispute between Jajar's brother and another family.

Following communications on social media, there was a suggestion his brother would meet in a supermarket car park with this rival family for some sort of fight.

However, this did not go ahead as planned.

Although “there was violence on both sides”, Judge Nicholas Rowland jailed him for three years and nine months.