A man has been jailed after he attacked a man in his home twice on the same day.

George Harper left Ross Mackinnon fearing he was going to die when he returned to assault him with a knife hours after the first attack in Wick in the Highlands.

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, Harper was sentenced to 40 months in jail.

The court was told Harper became jealous of his victim's association with his partner.

Lady Scott told the 36-year-old: "You attacked your victim twice and on the second occasion, which was planned, you used a lethal weapon.

"Your victim was fearful he was going to be killed. In the event the wounds were superficial."

She told Harper that she would have jailed him for five years for the assaults on Mr Mackinnon, but the sentence would be reduced following his guilty pleas.

After the second attack Harper went to a friend's house in Wick, in Caithness, covered in blood and told him: "I think I've killed Ross Mackinnon."

Mr Mackinnon was taken to Caithness General Hospital after the assaults and discharged after his wounds were dressed.

He later underwent surgery to remove a piece of broken knife blade from his arm.

Advocate depute Iain McSporran told the court: "The Crown has no clear information as to why the accused assaulted his victim.

"It is understood that the accused's position is that it had something to do with his being unhappy with the victim's association with a female that the accused was in a relationship with."

Defence counsel Kevin McCallum said: "The lady in question confirmed to the police that Harper gets a bit jealous if she speaks to other men."

Harper, from Wick, is currently in custody, and has a record of offending going back to when he was 16 for crimes involving drugs, dishonesty, disorder, weapons and violence.

Mr McSporran said on the afternoon of December 12 last year Mr Mackinnon was walking back to his home in Battery Road, in Wick, when he saw Harper with two other men nearby.

Harper began shouting at him telling him to keep out of his business.

He ignored him and went into his home but was followed by Harper and another man who entered uninvited.

Harper immediately attacked him, punching him to the head and body, before grabbing a saucepan and continuing to strike his victim with the makeshift weapon.

The victim estimated that the attack lasted about 10 minutes before the other man dragged Harper away.

Later in the evening Harper became agitated while he was at a friend's house and said he was going back to attack the victim again and left armed with a knife.

After barging into the house, Harper attacked Mr Mackinnon with the knife, stopping after the blade broke off in the victim's arm.

Mr Mackinnon was bleeding heavily and went to a friend's home to seek help. She tried to stop the bleeding and made a 999 call.

Harper admitted assaulting Mr Mackinnon to his injury on December 12 last year by entering his home uninvited and repeatedly punching and striking him with a pan on the head and body.

He also pled guilty to further assaulting him on the same day by returning to the property armed with the knife and repeatedly striking him with the weapon and a radiator panel.