The mother of Jessica Knight spoke of her daughter’s stubborn determination to live yesterday after the knife attacker who left her for dead was jailed for a minimum of 12 years.

Jessica Knight, then aged 14, was ambushed in January by Kristofer Beddar, 21, a French national, as she wandered through Astley Park, in Chorley, Lancashire, listening to her iPod on her way to meet friends.

She was stabbed in the neck, stomach and chest about 20 times by the frenzied knifeman and could have bled to death if a cyclist passing by had not stopped in the deserted park and stemmed the blood loss with his gloved hand.

Beddar, a loner with a volatile temper, was found guilty of attempted murder for the unprovoked assault by a jury at Preston Crown Court following a six day trial.

Jill Walmsley, Jessica’s mother, said that her daughter’s features were so badly swollen and distended as she lay in a hospital bed she had not recognise her at first. Surgeons battled for five hours to save her life.

Jessica’s injuries, including a deep laceration on her neck, were so severe that police were convinced they were working on a murder inquiry. Slowly she began to recover, aided by a surprise hospital visit from Geri Halliwell, the former Spice Girl.

A year on Jessica has made a steady recovery and is fighting hard to recover the outlook of that same music-loving teenager who had hoped to go on to college to study fashion design.

But she will suffer long-term physical and psychological problems. She continues to suffer from persistent headaches, has learning problems and her speech remains affected. She has shown signs recently of incipient epilepsy.

Outside court Jessica’s parents praised Gareth Crook, the cyclist who found their daughter. He has been awarded £500 by the judge from public funds. Mr Knight said: “He saved her life. The man can walk tall.”

Detective Superintendent Steve Brunskill, of Lancashire Police, highlighted the actions of Marion Beddar who marched her son to the police station. He said: “It must have been a difficult decision for her to make but the right one.

“This was a terrible attack on a vulnerable young schoolgirl in a public place. It highlights the very serious consequences of carrying knives which Beddar admitted to doing on a daily basis.”

Mrs Walmsley said: “She has done amazingly well considering what she has gone through. All the doctors are amazed at her recovery. She is going to have backward steps every so often but she has done fantastically."

Beddar, who lived with the English half of his family in Adlington, Chorley, had recently lost his job as a baker in a supermarket. He was said to have a volatile temper and had shown his aggressive side to former work colleagues.

The prosecution suggested that on the night of the attack he had snapped and taken his temper out on a defenceless stranger. Jessica told the court in a statement that she could recall little of the assault.

Beddar claimed to have drunk half a bottle of Jack Daniels whisky and had no recollection of his actions. But on the evening after the stabbing he was watching a television news report of the incident when he told his mother Marion: “I think it was me, mum.”

Mrs Beddar took her son to the police station that night telling the officer behind the counter: “This is my son. I have brought him in. He is responsible for the stabbing.”

Beddar admitted that he had attacked Jessica, but denied that it was attempted murder.

Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Russell, QC, the Recorder of Preston, said: “On January 21 this year, for no reason that can be ascertained, you attacked Jessica Knight in Astley Park and left her for dead. This was a frenzied attack with a knife that you habitually carried.

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