A jealous ex leapt off a mobility scooter in a bid to stab a suspected love rival.

In a broad daylight incident at Ewan Street, Gorton , Gary Berry, 54, jumped off the motorised disability in front of horrified witnesses.

He then lunged at the victim with a Stanley knife, chased him twice around a car, and then jumped back on his scooter and drove off shouting threats.

Sentencing Berry after he admitted affray at Manchester Crown Court , Judge Martin Steiger QC raised questions whether Berry, who claims to be unwell and is dependent on the state, had been using the vehicle ‘for show’ to secure handouts.

The court heard that Berry, 54, who has a history of harassing ex-girlfriends, turned violent after seeing a former partner drunk at 10am in the morning in the company of another man.

Berry, of Wellington Street, Gorton, swore and threatened the 55-year-old woman. Describing what happened next, prosecutor Gwen Henshaw said ‘he jumped off his mobility scooter and tried to stab’ the male victim, 51, with a retractable blade.

“He chased him twice around a parked car, before he got back on his mobility scooter shouting words to the effect of I will get you, I will kill you”, Miss Henshaw said.

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Speaking of the effect of the incident, the male victim said: “Since Gary attacked me I have barely slept. I’m frightened for my life. I want to leave my flat to get away, I can’t even go shopping. I just want him to leave me alone.”

Berry has 43 previous offences on his criminal record, the court heard. He has been jailed four times, including for robbing a neighbour, and has been convicted a number of times for harassing ex-partners.

He spent three months behind bars on remand after breaching bail conditions made for the most recent offence, a fact which defence lawyer John Kennerley used to argue for a suspended sentence.

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“His childhood was extremely traumatic”, Mr Kennerley said. “That has led to a series of mental health issues over the years, which have led to both substance misuse and a very serious alcohol problem. These difficulties have left him with long-term problems - anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder.

“These difficulties have led him to having a great deal of support from a care worker, psychiatrist and psychologist. He is receiving the support he needs - were he to receive a custodial sentence that work could be undone and he he could lose his very valuable, stable accommodation”, Mr Kennerley argued.

Mr Kennerley added that Mr Berry had not committed any offences between November 2007 and the affray on Juy 24 2014, and had not used drink or drugs for years.

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Sentencing Berry, Judge Martin Steiger QC said: “This defendant was behaving in a jealous fashion, thinking that the complainant was having an affair with his former girlfriend, both of whom were intoxicated in the middle of the morning in question. The defendant entered the scene in a motorised scooter for the disabled, although his conduct hardly supports that.

“The complainant says in his statement all of that was for show - no doubt in pursuit of some advantage as regards benefits. To his credit Mr Kennerley has not sought to play on the defendant’s infirmities, beyond drawing my attention to the fact they bare largely self-inflicted.”

Berry was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for a year, with a six-month 9pm to 6am curfew. He is banned from going near his ex-partner and the male complainant by a six-year restraining order.

He arrived at court with the aid of a walking stick, before being driven away in a new Ford Galaxy.