TWO men who stabbed a couple at their Greenock home after a dispute over £100 have been locked up for a total of more than nine years.

Jamie Middleton, 19, and Andrew Mulholland, 27, pounced on Finlay McIntyre and Karen Branwhite outside their front door in Belville Street last November 5.

Mr McIntyre, 52, suffered nine stab wounds while his 38-year-old partner was also seriously hurt.

Their attackers had been on bail for knife offences at the time.

Middleton and Mulholland – who both appeared via video-link from custody - were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday.

They had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting the victims to their severe injury and danger of their lives.

Middleton was locked up for four years, with sous chef Mulholland handed five years and three months behind bars.

Both will also be supervised for a further two years on their release.

Judge Lady Stacey said: “Going to someone's house armed and then using a knife to stab two people while there cannot be tolerated.”

Prosecutor Kath Harper told the earlier hearing how Mr McIntyre owed Middleton £100.

Miss Harper said: “An agreement was reached that the money would be paid on November 6.”

But Middleton and Mulholland instead turned up at the couple's home around 8.30pm the night before the arranged date.

Mr McIntyre was on the landing in his close when Middleton knifed him in the stomach.

He was repeatedly stabbed and as Ms Branwhite moved towards her partner Mulholland turned on her, stabbing her three times.

The bleeding victims managed to escape back inside their flat as the duo outside screamed at them to open the door and demanded money.

They then jumped into a taxi and fled the scene.

The victims managed to alert police despite collapsing in a pool of blood behind their front door.

Mr McIntyre had sustained multiple stab wounds to his head, chest and stomach when officers arrived, while his partner was in cardiac arrest.

Both ended up in intensive care with Mr McIntyre needing emergency surgery.

His partner suffered a collapsed lung and a liver injury as well as a fractured rib.

They both arrived at hospital in a critical condition with potentially life threatening injuries.”

A few weeks after the incident Middleton and Mulholland were arrested by police.

Middleton's advocate John McElroy said during yesterday's hearing: “He has said he is devastated at becoming involved as he had been friendly with Mr McIntyre.”

Tony Lenehan, defending Mulholland, later told the court: “He cannot extract any sense from the events that night.”