A man attacked his ex-girlfriend with a knife like a ‘scene from Psycho’ during a terrifying ordeal.

Richard Dean, 45, threatened to kill the woman before chasing her with an eight-inch blade around the garden of their Macclesfield home, a court heard.

The ‘hysterical’ victim was rescued by a neighbour who dragged her to safety beneath a garden fence, magistrates were told.

Dean then stabbed himself in the stomach and was hospitalised.

In a statement read out in court the woman said she had a constant ‘feeling of fear’.

At Macclesfield magistrates’ court Dean, of Moss Lane, Macclesfield, admitted assault and making threats to kill.

He was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on August 30.

Debbie Byrne, prosecuting, said the horrific attack took place on July 25, the day after she had ended their relationship because of his ‘heavy drinking’.

She said: “On July 24 there had been an exchange of text messages which became heated. The defendant became threatening saying he was going to ‘do time’ and ‘was outside’ the house.

“The next day he was due to remove his belongings and waited by the side of the house where he consumed a bottle of wine.

“At 2pm he walked into the garden. The victim ran into the house and fell over trying to get away. He followed, grabbed a kitchen pan and struck her on the forehead causing two black eyes and a bloody nose.

“He then grabbed her arms and hands. He then picked up an eight inch knife. The victim became hysterical. He threatened to kill her. He was moving the knife in downward action, similar to the scene from the film Psycho.

“She managed to get across the garden where a neighbour pulled her under the fence into his garden. The defendant then stabbed himself in the stomach and was taken to hospital.”

When he was interviewed, Dean told police he couldn’t remember hitting his ex-partner with a pan or holding a knife, the court heard.

Mrs Byrne added: “The victim cannot sleep or work. She says she has hit rock bottom.”

John Gallagher, defending, said Dean had been struggling with personal issues at the time of the incident.