A POOLE man has been found guilty of attempted murder after flying out to Guernsey and stabbing a love rival.

Anthony Jones, 53, was convicted at the island’s Royal Court of carrying out the attack that took place in February 2010.

He stabbed lift engineer Richard Wordsworth in the chest at the victim’s home in Grand Fort Road.

The court heard he was in a jealous rage and stabbed a man he had never met before when the front door opened.

Jones, of Haymoor Road, Upper Parkstone, had been left angry after seeing a text from Mr Wordsworth, 52, on his ex-girlfriend’s phone.

He broke down when giving evidence as he described his seven-year relationship with Sharon Ellis, the woman at the centre of the “crime of passion”.

He pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and an alternative charge of wounding with intent.

Jones claimed he only wanted to talk to Mr Wordsworth, alleging Mr Wordsworth attacked him first, and that he disarmed him and stabbed him in self-defence.

However the jury were played a harrowing 999 recording of Mr Wordsworth pleading to live, while Jones said: “If you call the police I will have to finish it.”

Officers arrested Jones in a field near the Castel Hospital later that day.

The jurors returned a majority eight to one verdict on Wednesday, after just over an hour of deliberation.

Det Sgt Karl Zierlinger said after the case: “We’re very pleased.

“ It was a drawn out investigation, a very meticulous investigation.”

Jones, who has a previous conviction for robbery, is due to be sentenced on April 8.