Coronation Street star John Savident thought he was going to die when a man he had met in a gay bar stabbed him in the neck, it was revealed yesterday.

Michael Smith boasted of being a "schizo" as he attacked married father-of-two Mr Savident - better known as TV butcher Fred Elliott.

Mr Savident was lucky to survive the attack, which happened after he invited Smith to his home in the early hours of December 1, 2000, following a night out in Manchester's gay village.

Smith, 30, of Ashton-under-Lyne, was jailed for seven years following a week-long trial in September. But restrictions on reporting the case were only lifted yesterday, after he was convicted of another violent robbery.

A jury at Manchester Crown Court was told in the earlier trial that on November 30, 2000, Mr Savident met Smith in one of the city's best-known gay night-spots and invited him home to talk about the theatre.

Smith claimed Mr Savident had "picked him up" and was intent on sleeping with him and only attacked the actor in self-defence after he made sexual advances.

Mr Savident told the jury he thought Smith was a drama student. When the bar closed, Mr Savident said he invited Smith back to his flat to continue their conversation.

Back at the flat, Mr Savident went into his bedroom to plug his mobile phone in to charge - and was shoved face down into his bed at knife-point. The actor told the court: "He said to me something like, 'I bet you have never met a schizo before'."

Smith demanded valuables and the keys to Mr Savident's classic Morgan sports car.

In the struggle that followed, Smith's knife pierced Mr Savident's neck, slicing through a blood vessel and missing the main artery by less than an inch.

Mr Savident lost about two pints of blood as he lay on his bed while Smith searched his flat and garage. But as his attacker went downstairs to steal his car, Mr Savident managed to lock him out and dial 999.

Smith was convicted in September of wounding Mr Savident with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and of robbing him of his wallet, credit cards, and other property.

Yesterday, Smith - who had more than 60 previous convictions - was found guilty at the same court of another robbery. Last month, he had admitted two counts of kidnap, and other offences. He will be sentenced on January 10.

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