A DAD from Greenock is facing jail after stabbing his son in the stomach in a row over a damaged book.

Gary Roe, 49, yesterday admitted at the High Court in Glasgow to plunging a blade into his 20-year-old son Declan to the danger of his life.

He was originally charged with attempting to murder him, but the Crown accepted his plea of guilty to the lesser charge.

Judge Lady Rae told Roe: “This was a very serious injury to your son.

"He could have died because of what you did.”

Roe stabbed his son after a blazing row at his home in Regent Street on January 25.

He then cleaned the knife of blood and put it back in the kitchen.

Meanwhile his son, who was bleeding from his injury, staggered out into the street.

He had gone to the house to confront his father about ripping the book.

Prosecutor Bobby Frazer said: “Declan had given a book to his 14-year-old sister as a gift and it had been damaged by the accused..

“As a result of this Gary Roe and his son were engaged in a heated argument.”

The court heard that Declan then left the house, before returning and kicking in the front door of his dad's flat.

Roe grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed his son once in the abdomen.

When police officers arrived at the scene Declan was in the street clutching a towel to his stomach to stem the bleeding and there was a blood trail leading up to the flat.

Referring to his injury, the victim told police officers: “My dad done it in his house.”

When Roe was questioned he stated that his son had kicked the door in, before adding: “He assaulted me in my house.”

His son has been left with a scar to his abdomen.

The knife wound cut through his liver.

The Crown's Mr Frazer told the court: “If left untreated there was a potential danger to life.”

Defence QC Thomas Ross said: “Mr Roe cares for two of his children, aged 14 and five, and is a loving caring responsible father to them. “

Roe, who is in custody, will be sentenced next month at the High Court in Edinburgh.