Houston man gets 10 years for stabbing friend 21 times in meth-fueled rage

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A judge has sentenced a Houston man to 10 years in prison after he admitted he stabbed his friend 21 times during a meth-fueled rage.

Richard Jeffcoat and his friend, Allen Lowery, were at an Atascocita fast food restaurant when the incident occurred.

According to testimony in court, the pair were inside a sedan ingesting methamphetamine and cocaine after staying up together for 11 days.

At one point, Jeffcoat grew paranoid and stabbed Lowery with a butcher knife, leaving him with collapsed lungs and extensive blood loss.

Lowery survived the attack and is now studying to become a pastor.

During the trial, Jeffcoat sought leniency from the judge, asking for probation since this was his first offense.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office wanted 14 years, one year for each minute Lowery waited for paramedics to arrive.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Figliuzzi said the lesson in the case is clear.

"Methamphetamine is dangerous and wildly unpredictable, even more so when mixed with other drugs," Figliuzzi said. "Users caught in a vicious cycle of addiction need to seek help before they end up dead or in prison."