Boxer jailed after stabbing friend at cabin

A former Olympic boxing hopeful has been jailed after stabbing his friend in an act of “self-defence gone too far” at a remote Northumberland log cabin.

A court heard how a weekend away in Otterburn ended in horror when Declan Fusco wounded pal Guy Dunn during an argument, before throwing the knife in the hot tub and fleeing the scene.

Police discovered the 27-yearold’s BMW crashed at a reservoir near the Scottish border, but when they were in the process of detaining him he spat at one officer “full in the face”.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that earlier in the evening Fusco (pictured) had also assaulted one of the women staying at the cabin.

Judge Amanda Rippon, who handed Fusco a suspended prison sentence for a previous assault conviction, said this time, the “only appropriate sentence was one of immediate custody”.

She added: “Spitting at a police officer is disgusting. It is the resort of the childish and pathetic.”

Fusco pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, assault, assaulting a police officer, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison for unlawful wounding and five months for driving whilst disqualified. The judge also imposed two-month prison sentences for the two assaults to run concurrently. Fusco was banned from driving for 24-and-a-half months.