A MAN who stabbed his friend on the throat during an ordeal lasting several hours was hearing voices in his head, a court has been told.

James Mitchell — who is now beginning a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence — had stopped his medication for paranoid schizophrenia and was taking illegal drugs.

Mitchell, 46, attacked his victim in a fit of rage over explicit messages the man had sent to his girlfriend.

He chillingly told him: "You're dying tonight."

He inflicted multiple injuries on the man — including on his stomach, neck and forearm — after turning up at his Roxburgh Street home with a six-inch blade and attempting to cut his throat.

Defence lawyer Gerry Keenan told the court: "The worst symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia manifested themselves.

"He had auditory hallucinations and he believed that the complainer was mocking him verbally."

Mitchell had moved back to Greenock from Orkney after a break-up with his partner who lives in Kirkwall, the court heard.

Mr Keenan said: "He dispensed with his medication and started using illicit substances.

"He discovered from his former partner that there had been a betrayal of trust and certain messages of a sexual nature had been sent to her.

"She was upset to be the recipient of them and told Mr Mitchell that.

"This engendered in him a good deal of anger."

Mr Keenan said that the knife attack was 'very much out of character' for his client.

He added: "His intention is to return to Orkney and marry his partner.

"The court has before it a man who is mentally ill."

Police were alerted to the incident in February last year after Mitchell, of Kelly Street, left the scene.

He further tormented his victim by phoning him while he was receiving treatment at Inverclyde Royal Hospital and told him he was going to shoot him.

Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told Mitchell: "You attacked the complainer with a knife and the assault resulted in various injuries to his arm, stomach and neck.

"You attempted to cut his throat and you made a number of serious threats.

"This matter was sustained over a number of hours and you agreed that it was your plan to kill him.

"It is only through good fortune that the injuries were not more serious than they were.

"I am absolutely in no doubt this offence requires to be dealt with by way of a period in prison."

Mitchell was sentenced to a total 43 months imprisonment.

He will be subject to a nine-month supervised release order once he is liberated.