A minicab driver who had his throat slit in Croydon has spoken of his relief as his attacker was jailed for seven years this week.

Dost Mohammed says he still suffers nightmares and cannot work full-time since he was attacked by 26-year-old Reginald Beard on June 18 this year.

Beard, of Queens Road, Croydon, was sentenced to seven years for wounding with intent after changing his plea at the last minute and admitting slashing Mr Mohammed's throat.

Croydon Crown Court heard last Monday how Beard narrowly escaped an automatic life sentence because of a previous conviction for a serious firearms offence in 1992.

However a technicality in retrospective law meant he was sentenced to the lesser custodial term of seven years.

Judge Stephen Waller said Beard had escaped a life sentence "by the skin of his teeth" and told the defendant: "This is a very serious offence indeed. You slashed the victim's throat with an unknown sharp implement that could easily have killed him and that is to be seen only too clearly in the Polaroid photograph taken from that night by the police."

Mr Mohammed, a minicab driver from Carshalton, was off-duty but parked outside Embassy Cars in London Road when Beard and seven friends tried to get into his people carrier.

When he asked them to get out, Beard recognised Mr Mohammed as the cab driver who was involved in a previous altercation with the defendant's younger sister and said: "You're the man who punched my sister."

When Mr Mohammed replied: "No, it was your sister that punched me", Beard produced a sharp object from his pocket, believed to be a small knife, put his arm around the victim's neck and slashed his throat.

Beard left Mr Mohammed bleeding in the street. Police, acting on information received, found Beard hiding in a roll of carpet in a carpet shop on June 25.

Beard, who has a long criminal record, including convictions for burglary and has served time in a youth offenders' institution, denied attacking Mr Mohammed until Monday when he pleaded guilty in the face of overwhelming evidence.

He showed no emotion as he was led to the cells.