Miroslav Jovanovic, 56, was found guilty of using a small utility knife to stab the man repeatedly in April last year.

The court heard the attack was motivated by revenge, after a fight between the victim and Jovanovic’s son.

The stabbing took place in broad daylight at the Belconnen bus interchange, as groups of bystanders waited for their buses.

Jovanovic ran up behind his victim and punched him in the back of the head.

They scuffled and, at some point, Jovanovic stabbed the man with the small knife.

The blade passed through the victim’s ribs, collapsing a lung, damaging an artery and causing severe bleeding.

At the trial, the victim gave evidence that he thought he was going to “bleed out” and die.

Witnesses reported seeing blood seep through his shirt as he waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Jovanovic had fought the charges at trial, arguing he was acting in self-defence after the victim threatened him.

At an earlier sentencing hearing, Jovanovic apologised for the injuries the victim had suffered.

But he maintained he was as surprised as anyone by the wounds inflicted on the man.

"I'm sorry for the injuries he has received and, as I say, I was as shocked as he was and everyone was about what the injuries were," he said.

He also said he’d tried to prevent his victim, now also incarcerated at Canberra’s prison, from being bashed by other inmates.

Jovanovic said other prisoners had offered to bash the man for giving evidence at trial.

Justice Richard Refshauge sentenced Jovanovic to 10 years and nine months in jail, with a non-parole period of five years and six months, in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday.

In handing down his sentence, Justice Refshauge admitted Jovanovic had shown ''limited remorse'' over the attack, even though he fled the scene of the crime and had pleaded not guilty.

Justice Refshauge said the offender acknowledged he had caused harm and felt a sense of regret, but still saw himself as the victim.

''He continues to maintain he did nothing but act in self-defence,'' he said.

''Considering he continues to profess his innocence, I think there is a moderate to high risk he will reoffend.''

But Justice Refshauge said while the incident was very serious, it did not justify the maximum 20-year jail sentence for intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The court heard Jovanovic had a long and ''shocking'' criminal history which included convictions for more than 100 offences.

He had battled heroin addiction on and off since he was 14 and suffered from health problems, including sleep apnoea.

Justice Refshauge said the stabbing had been Jovanovic's first violent offence since 1991, which indicated there was some hope of rehabilitation.

He said the fact the attack was motivated by revenge for a specific incident also lessened the chance of Jovonovic reoffending in the same way.

The court heard the victim experienced ongoing physical and mental health problems, including chest pain, anxiety and panic attacks, as a result of the stabbing.

Jovanovic did not react when Justice Refshauge handed down his verdict.

He will be eligible for parole in October 2018.