A KNIFEMAN has been jailed after telling Good Samaritan “I will stab you and I will kill you” during an attempted robbery.

Sandor Horvath, aged 27, of Brookland Close, Bolton, had been on a four-day cocaine binge when he threatened 84-year-old Frederick Edgington with a steak knife, Bolton Crown Court heard yesterday.

When passer-by Ian Diggle went to Mr Edgington’s aid, the knifeman threatened to kill him.

Earlier the same day Horvath, who moved to the UK from Hungary in May, 2017, had rushed at another man with a knife and grabbed him by the throat.

After being arrested the defendant then went on to smash up two custody cells and assault, bite and headbutt officers.

The crime spree began in April when Horvath responded to an advert for an Alfa Romeo car being sold by 23-year-old Lazlo Buckhammer ­— visiting his house in Chorley Old Road.

The two then took a test drive and when they returned to Mr Buckhammer’s home, Horvath asked him if he had a cigarette lighter.

Mr Buckhammer offered to go into his house to get one, despite being reluctant to leave Horvath in the car, and took the keys from the ignition.

Prosecuting, Juliet Berry, said: “Mr Buckhammer went to get out of the vehicle when the defendant grabbed him by the throat and tried to wrestle the keys from him.

“He managed to break free and run towards his house. The defendant ran after him brandishing a knife.” Mr Buckhammer, managed to shut his door and call the police,” she added, noting that while waiting for police Mr Buckhammer was able to identify Horvath by searching Facebook.

The court then heard that around an hour later Mr Edgington was putting shopping in his car boot, parked in Central Street Car Park off Knowsley Street, after shopping in Bolton town centre, when he spotted Horvath standing about 25 metres away.

He got into his car and started the ignition when Horvath opened the door and got in the front passenger side.

Armed with a steak knife Horvath told the pensioner to “drive, drive,” Ms Berry told the court, and Mr Edgington then threatened to call the police before a “tussle” erupted between them. Ms Berry said: “Mr Edgington tried to remove the keys from the ignition and the defendant reached over and grabbed them.

“The defendant had hold of the steering wheel with one hand and was trying to remove the keys with the other.

“There was a tussle which lasted for a few seconds and the keyring broke and Mr Edgington sustained a cut to his finger.” Mr Edgington then jumped out of the car shouting for help,” she added.

Hearing the cries, passer-by Ian Diggle ran to Mr Edgington’s aid armed with a spanner and told Horvath to get out of the car,

The offender then threatened to stab Mr Diggle saying “I will stab you and I will kill you,” Ms Berry said. Mr Diggle then walked away and Horvath fled.

A victim impact statement from Mr Edgington, read by Ms Berry, said: “This incident has really shaken me up.

I don’t know how it will affect me in the future but I will not be using that car park in the future.

“I have high blood pressure and a heart condition and I know that my family will be really worried.”

Horvath was arrested at around 6.40 that evening.

While in police custody he was seen kicking the toilet in his cell on CCTV and was restrained before being moved to another cell. There he was seen trying to damage the air vents, mirror and other parts of the cell, eventually pulling the toilet off the wall and throwing it at the mirror.

Ms Berry told the court that: “The defendant was asked by officers to stop damaging his cell, and he responded by laughing.” A Tactical Aid Unit was called and eventually removed Horvath from the cell.

The next morning Horvath asked officers to take him to the toilet on two separate occasions, after which he refused to go back to his and lashed out at the officers.

During the two fracas the offender punched and injured the officers, including biting officer David Hesketh and headbutting officer Paul Moss after he had been pinned him against a wall.

During the hearing Ms Berry also told the court that, in 2011, Horvath had been sentenced to seven years and two months in prison in Hungary for robbery, after he and several other men stole mobile phones and cash, and threatened victims.

Adrian Palmer, defending, said: “The defendant was able to express a degree of regret and remorse,” adding that Horvath had been affected by a “three or four day drugs binge and lack of sleep.”

Mr Palmer also noted that since the incident Horvath has invested time in learning English and has risen to a “respected position” as cleaner at HMP Forest Bank, during his time in custody.

Sentencing Horvath to five years and six months in prison for two counts of attempted robbery, two counts of assault and one count of criminal damage Judge Timothy Stead told Horvath he would be deported to Hungary after completing his term.

Judge Stead also praised Mr Diggle’s actions saying: “It’s heroic that he intervened as he did, putting himself at risk.”