Horror as knifeman stabs grandmother and man at a former Conservative Club in Blackpool.

James McFlynn, 38, stabbed the woman in the chest on the steps of the Talbot on Milbourne Street, Blackpool, as she bravely stood in front of him to protect her son, as he brandished the blade.

Seconds after she collapsed with a 2cm wound, he inflicted seven stab wounds on another punter, who had been out celebrating his mum's birthday.

At Preston Crown Court the knifeman was given an indeterminate sentence by Judge Philip Parry in order to protect the public, with nine years in jail and an extended three year licence period.

It means McFlynn, who has an appalling criminal record for violent offences, can apply for parole when he has served two thirds of the jail term, but will only be released if the parole board deem it is safe.

Prosecuting, Lisa Worsley said earlier McFlynn, now of Palmer Road, Manchester, had been in the club but began arguing with people, including the woman's son, and was told to leave.

Judge Parry said: " You were ushered outside the club and it was very obvious that when outside that, being in drink and having taken medication, you were plainly spoiling for a fight. You walked away. You really should never have come back."

But McFlynn walked to his dads nearby, let himself in, got a knife, and came back at around 11.50pm on Saturday, April 21. In the resulting fracas he chased people who were leaving the venue, causing some to run back inside and struggle to stop him entering.

The judge added: " You turned your anger towards her and you hit out at her, really quite viciously and what we all now know is that it wasn't a fist you struck her with, it was a knife.

"As people came out to assist her, and as she cowered with her hand over face, you stood over her telling her she would 'get some more of it'."

His second victim was not able to get into the club where others had taken refuge.

Judge Parry said: " You turned your attention to him shouting: 'Do you want a bit of this?', brandishing your now barely concealed knife.

"You ran him down - he had nowhere to go. You set about stabbing him on multiple occasions around his chest and torso.

" He was bleeding and he was utterly terrified. He was panicking and struggling to breathe, and no doubt he thought he was going to die as you stood over him with a knife, having inflicted at least seven wounds."

The court heard an off duty nurse in the club tried to help as paramedics rushed to the scene.

The man spent three days in the trauma unit at the Royal Preston Hospital.

McFlynn, also known as James Colville, was subject to a community order for violence at the time.

The judge acknowledged he had had a troubled upbringing in which he himself was subject to violence, and accepted he had shown remorse.