A samurai sword-wielding ex-soldier was frothing at the mouth as he subjected his wife to a terrifying attack which left her soaked in blood, a court has heard.
Enraged Darren Mann struck out with a 10-inch butcher’s knife before renewing his assault with the deadly sword, slashing walls before bringing it down between the legs of his petrified wife.
Mann, 43, then dragged her from their blood-stained Angus home before continuing his rampage by chasing neighbours with the lethal weapon when they rushed to the woman’s aid after hearing her screams.
Mann, of Kinnaird Estates office flat, Brechin, appeared from custody at Arbroath Sheriff Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife Jette on September 14, assaulting Pamela Harris and attempting to strike her with the samurai sword and assaulting Mark McBride by pursuing him and presenting the sword at him.
Sheriff Gregor Murray warned Mann he faced a substantial custodial sentence and remanded him in custody until January 21.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond said Mrs Mann found her husband asleep in bed surrounded by empty bottles when she returned home from work at 4.45pm.
Mann, who served with the Royal Scots, was banned from driving and she phoned a neighbour to ask if he had driven him into town to buy alcohol.
By this stage, Mann had got up and grabbed the phone from her and smashed it on the worktop.
Ms Drummond said: “He grabbed Mrs Mann by the upper chest with both hands and then threw her all over the kitchen.”
Mann then grabbed the butcher’s knife from the kitchen drawer, straddled her chest and pinned her arms down with his legs.
Ms Drummond said: “He then put the knife to her forehead and pressed the tip into her temple.
“He moved the tip of the knife to her right cheek and again pressed the tip into her face.”
Still wearing his dressing gown, he then returned holding a samurai sword which he was waving over his head. Mann began striking the walls with it before bringing it crashing down between his wife’s legs after he pushed her to the ground.
Ms Drummond said: “He was frothing at the mouth.
“She believed he was seriously going to hurt her as the blade was only inches away from her and was being swung with force.”
Mann dragged his wife down the stairs and out of the house where he told her: “Get down on the ground.”
As he waved the sword over her, she grabbed the handle which snapped off but Mann continued to wave the blade about. He then pinned her down and began pulling chunks of her hair out.
Neighbours then intervened and Mann ran at one vehicle waving the sword. He then ran towards another neighbour with the sword above his head. He chased another neighbour before dropping the sword prior to the arrival of police.
They used CS spray to restrain him before taking him to Ninewells Hospital for treatment to a large cut on his hand.
The court heard Mrs Mann underwent reconstructive surgery for a divided tendon in her thumb and suffered cuts and bruises.