A jealous thug lunged at an 86-year-old man with a knife after believing he was having an affair with his girlfriend.
Douglas Wilson, 34, was stopped from attacking Philip Nelson with the knife by the pensioner’s carer and a passer-by who overheard the commotion at Viewmount, Forfar.
Wilson then bolted into a stranger’s house in a bid to evade police before trying to bite an officer while claiming to have hepatitis.
The yob was jailed for three years at Dundee Sheriff Court after he pleaded guilty to committing the attacks.
Sheriff Tom Hughes said: “This was a nasty incident involving an 86-year-old man who appears to be quite innocent in the whole circumstances. You have completely misread the situation.”
The court heard how Wilson’s girlfriend had been doing cleaning work for Mr Nelson and was afraid to tell Wilson about this due to his extreme jealously.
Wilson, however, found out and attended at Mr Nelson’s door armed with two knives. On the day in question, Mr Nelson was at home in the company of his carer when an “extremely angry” Wilson arrived.
Prosecutor Vicki Bell said: “The accused threatened to cut the witness Nelson’s throat.
“He pushed him against a wall and lunged at him with a knife. He continued to shout and swear and hold a knife above his head and repeatedly lunged at the witness.
“The witness shouted ‘Dougie I am 87 please leave’ but the accused said ‘I don’t care if you’re 87 I’ll still stab you.’”
Mr Nelson’s carer tried to push the crazed thug away and believed if she had not been there then Wilson would have stabbed the pensioner.
Another witness, Stevie Allen, appeared and tried to assist but Wilson also lunged towards him with the knife before running off.
Police attended and chased Wilson who burst into a property on Castle Street uninvited. He refused to leave after being told to get out with the court hearing that he left a 10-year-old child terrified.
Officers later caught up with Wilson in a close and struggled with PC Craig Mollison, causing both men to tumble down a set of stairs.
Mrs Bell added: “The officers quickly got control of the accused. No knives were recovered following the search. During the search, he headbutted constable Mollison and said ‘that’s a police assault.’
“The accused was placed on the ground and continually tried to bite him throughout shouting and laughing that he had hepatitis.”
When appearing via video link from HMP Perth, Wilson pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Nelson by pushing him against a wall and repeatedly lunging at him with a knife on March 26 on Viewmount, Forfar.
On the same date, he lunged at Stevie Allen with a knife before causing fear and alarm to residents at a property on Castle Street by entering uninvited and hiding from the police.
Wilson assaulted PC Craig Mollison by struggling with him, falling down a set of stairs, trying to bite him while claiming to have hepatitis and headbutting him. The thug also repeatedly kicked PC Steven Milne on the body.