He thought he was Batman, but Anthony Horn’s violent act of “misguided chivalry” made him look more like the Joker.

Horn was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in jail for assaulting and stabbing two firefighters he believed were harassing young women at an Osborne Village bar on Feb. 20, 2013.

“Mr. Horn took it upon himself to step in, to be, in his own words, Batman, and protect or intervene on behalf of these damsels in distress,” Crown attorney Nadine Vasas told court.

Court heard the drunken victims had been chatting up young women at the Toad in the Hole pub and became “rude and obnoxious” when their attentions were rebuffed, with one man shoving one of the women.

Horn knocked one of the men off his stool, resulting in a brawl that saw Horn pull out a small pen knife and slice one man’s finger and stab another in the stomach.

In a subsequent statement to police, Horn said his actions were likely the result of mixing booze, drugs and prescription medication.

“He said he was offended by the victims because he can’t stand bullies, so he stands up to bullies when others will not,” Vasas said.

Horn went on to tell police he should have gone home “instead of playing Batman.”

The victims were treated in hospital for their superficial wounds and released.

Both men were “difficult” with police and uncooperative with the prosecution, Vasas said. The men were “embarrassed by this incident and about their behaviour.”

Vasas urged Judge Tim Killeen to sentence Horn to two years in prison.

“A custodial sentence is important and necessary to send that message to Mr. Horn that he cannot be that everyday Batman,” she said.

Defence lawyer John Corona recommended a 90-day jail sentence, arguing two years was far too long given the specific circumstances of the case.

“It’s clear that a number of people took exception to the behaviour of (the victims) that night,” Corona said. “Mr. Horn’s sense of chivalry may have been misguided, but it was out of chivalry that this occurred.”

Killeen sentenced Horn to an additional three years supervised probation and ordered that he not be allowed to drink alcohol in a public place.

“I think drinking for you is a horrible mistake,” he said. “What you did was completely beyond what anybody should tolerate.”

dean.pritchard@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @deanatwpgsun