Nottingham: 'Dangerous' man stabbed housemate with bread knife

Yehya Mahdi got his housemate to open his door by pretending to be the police

A man who stabbed his housemate in the side of the head and neck while shouting "I will kill you" has been jailed.

Yehya Mahdi told police he drank 12 cans of beer and armed himself with a bread knife before the attack.

They were both asylum seekers, and the attack happened at their Home Office-approved mid-terrace house in Sneinton Boulevard, Nottingham, on 14 January.

Mahdi was sentenced to two years and eight months at Nottingham Crown Court.

The attacker, who is from Sudan, told his housemate he did not like him as he was from Libya - a country he blamed for his brother's death.

Nottinghamshire Police said that the victim could hear Mahdi breaking things in the house and swearing shortly before the attack.

He stayed in his room until Mahdi banged on his door pretending to be the police.

'One violent man'

After the attack, the victim managed to push Mahdi away and escape, the force said.

When officers were called to the scene, the victim was found bleeding outside the property.

He was taken to hospital and put in intensive care where he made a good recovery and was discharged after five days.

Mahdi pleaded guilty to committing grievous bodily harm and was jailed on Monday.

Mahdi was arrested at the property minutes after the attack

Det Con Rory Greer described Mahdi as a "dangerous individual".

"This was a horrific attack and it was only by pure luck that the victim was not more seriously hurt," he said.

"Having escaped a war in Libya, the victim had come to the UK as an asylum seeker in order to try and create a better life for himself.

"By coming here, he believed he would be much safer - but this proved not to be the case because of the actions of one violent man."