A TERRIFIED asylum seeker hammered on a house door shouting that a knifeman was trying to kill him - but was told to go away, a court heard.

Iraqi Kurd Taha Ali, 28, staggered away but fell down and his attacker rained more blows upon him, said prosecutor Sue Jacobs.

His ordeal only ended when he heard a woman's voice yelling for him to be left alone.

Lab tests on his blood-soaked jacket showed he had been attacked by a sharp-pointed weapon, Teesside Crown Court was told.

The judge said that the householder was probably too afraid to go to the aid of Mr Ali, who had lived on Teesside for five years.

The judge, Recorder Brian Cox QC, said his attacker Jonathon Dick, 25, who had previous convictions for possessing knives, a chair leg with nails and an air rifle, as well as wounding a girlfriend by shooting her, posed a threat of serious harm to the public.

He sentenced Dick to an extended three-and-a-half year sentence, with 18 months in jail and two years on licence on release to protect the public.

Dick admitted assault causing actual bodily harm on January 10, but denied using a bladed weapon.

The judge rejected his claim, saying forensic examination of Mr Ali's clothes and photographs of his injuries led a scientist to conclude that a sharp weapon was used.

The judge told Dick: "Your record shows a propensity to carry and use weapons and a propensity for violence.

"You used a weapon. This was a significant injury and a sustained attack and you pursued him over and over again."

Mr Ali told police that he had previously had trouble with Dick and his family. He said on the night of the attack, in the Bath Street area of Stockton, Dick said he was going to kill him.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said that Dick, of Condor Road, Stockton, met Mr Ali by chance and there was a verbal exchange followed by the assault.

He said Dick had been searched by police earlier and no weapon was found. Dick been drinking and he did not know if he had anything in his hand when he punched Mr Ali.