A MIDDLE-aged bachelor driven ‘by a cocktail of obsession and jealousy’ tried to murder a work colleague who had rebuffed his advances.

Brian Deakin, of Willow Street, Atherton, turned up uninvited at Deborah Evans’ home armed with a large kitchen knife on the pretext of getting back some DVDs he had loaned her.

She told Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday, that the 46-year-old initially ‘seemed fine’ but when she came back to the front door with the DVDs he suddenly launched a horrifying attack with the deadly weapon and she had to fight desperately for her life.

Miss Evans, 42, suffered numerous stab and slash wounds to her head, shoulder, hands and arms, fractures to her cheekbone, jaw, eye socket and collar bone, bruising to her brain and had almost all of her ribs broken.

She had to undergo surgery after the early evening attack on December 14, is still on a liquid diet and has since lost her job at Patak’s food processing plant in Leigh – where they both worked on the factory floor – through resultant ill health.

Deakin pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 15 years in jail with an extended licence of five years, meaning he will serve at least 10 years in prison.

Judge Clement Goldstone told him: “You launched a vicious, violent and frenzied attack with that knife.

“Had the blade not been broken from the handle in the course of that attack I have no doubt it would have continued.”

He said Deakin then repeatedly punched the victim in the face, banged her head against the wall and put his foot on her neck until she passed out and that the attack only ended because he believed she was dead.

The judge added that Miss Evans, who Deakin described as ‘a kind lady’, has been left scarred in ‘every way’.

“You abused your friendship and tried to kill her because she rebuffed your interest,” he said.

“You have ruined your life quite simply because she did not want you and you were led to behave as you did by a cocktail of obsession and jealousy.”

Deakin, who has no previous convictions, showed no emotion during the hearing.

The judge imposed a restraining order to keep Deakin away from his victim for life.

Henry Riding, prosecuting, said the attack began without any warning when Miss Evans brought the DVDs to the door which she had bought Deakin for his birthday but then borrowed.

“The force with which he forced his way in and attacked her knocked her to the floor,” he said.

“As he did so he was shouting incoherently towards her ‘you never answered my messages’ and ‘you don’t know who you have messed with.’ “Fearing for her life she tried to fight him off and started screaming loudly for help as the defendant continued to stab and slash at her repeatedly with the kitchen knife to her head, shoulders, arms and upper chest area.

“Such was the force of his attack that the knife blade broke off from the handle.

“When the knife broke the defendant resorted to violently assaulting her with his fists and feet, repeatedly punching her to the face and grabbing her head and banging it into the wall.

“He then put his hands around her neck and was strangling her, but as she continued to fight him off he resorted to using his foot, putting it upon her neck and pressing down, restricting her ability to breathe and causing her to pass out.

“Only then, perhaps believing she was dead, did the defendant cease his attack upon her.”

Miss Evans told the court she had first met Deakin at work in August 2014 and he seemed like ‘a nice person’.

She added that she only saw him out of work on three occasions and knew he was interested in her but she told him she did not want a boyfriend.

They bought each other birthday presents but by last August he had discovered that she was going out with Jonathan Clarke, also a colleague, and called her giving her abuse.

The court heard he was subsequently apologetic and wished to be friends again but she did not really hear from him again until December, when he asked on social media for her to give him the DVDs back, which she promised to do but forgot.

Mr Riding said that Miss Evans was unable to return to work because of dizziness and the attack had ‘robbed’ her of her confidence and she has been left permanently scarred.

“I count myself lucky to be alive,” Miss Evans said.

“I will never get over emotionally what he has done to me and I feel he has given me a life sentence.”

Her relationship with Mr Clarke has since ended because of her depression, the court was told.

Tom Watson, defending, said that Deakin had always lived with his parents, who are now infirm, and was remorseful and ashamed of his behaviour.