A POWER company canvasser had to fend off a knife attacker during a home call, a court heard.

Stephen Leach lunged several times with a knife at Josh Rooney on the doorstep of a house in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

But, Durham Crown Court heard that the Scottish Power salesman managed to avoid the blows by deflecting the knife with his lap-top computer.

David Crook, prosecuting, told the court: "'The computer fell to the ground and Mr Rooney fled, but it is only by his good management of the situation that he was not injured."

Mr Crook said Leach and his girlfriend, who was carrying a young child, answered the door to Mr Rooney, when he called at the house in Sixth Avenue, on October 26 last year.

"He was quite polite at first, but became abusive and picked up the knife after Mr Rooney remarked that he would come back another time as he appeared to have been drinking."

Mr Crook said police were called and arrested Leach, who was abusive on the way to the station threatening, "to have their kneecaps done", claiming he had done it before.

He also told the officers he would slit his girlfriend's throat, as, "if he couldn't have her, no-one else would".

Leach, now of Aboyne Square, in Farringdon, Sunderland, whose previous convictions include carrying a bladed article, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

Warren Grier, for Leach, said in spite of his actions his girlfriend is standing by him.

"I understand they were engaged last week when she visited him in prison on remand."

Mr Grier said Leach's "difficulties" stem from alcohol abuse, which he is attempting to tackling on a course.

Imposing a 21-month sentence in a young offenders' institution, Recorder Keith Miller told Leach, "You have a previous conviction for carrying a knife and the magistrates who dealt with that case would have told you such behaviour cannot be tolerated.

"Yet you then went on to attempt to use a knife on a salesman who called at your house. He must have been terrified."

Recorder Miller ordered that the knife seized from Leach should be destroyed.