A man who stormed into his love rival’s Wolverhampton home armed with a knife and stabbed his pet rottweiler has escaped an immediate prison sentence.

Damian Hubble was so distraught when neighbour Daniel Morgan got his fiancée pregnant that he went round to the flat, demanding: “Tell me the truth”, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

When Mr Morgan let him into the apartment in Wodensfield Tower, Wednesfield, Hubble produced a 12in kitchen knife from behind his back and lunged at him.

The five-year-old dog jumped up to protect his master and bore the brunt of the attack, said Ms Alka Brigue, prosecuting.

The pet suffered stab wounds to the back and shoulder that required more than £600 in veterinary treatment.

The two men tussled near the front door of the apartment before Hubble ran off, throwing the knife into a nearby canal, Ms Brigue told Judge Nicholas Webb yesterday.

The 25-year-old was engaged to a young woman who had become friendly with Mr Morgan, a neighbour living in a flat above Hubble’s in Wodensfield Tower, said Chris O’Gor-man, defending.

She became pregnant and Hubble was shocked to learn that Mr Morgan was the father.

The attack took place at 11pm on January 4 just after Hubble, who had no previous convictions, was given the devastating news about his fiancée.

Mr O’Gorman said that Hubble lashed out at the dog after the animal went for him and bit him twice. Police who interviewed him later confirmed he had bite marks.

Judge Morgan said that the late-night intrusion had clearly been very frightening for Mr Morgan.

The attack on the rott-weiler was “gratuitous”, he added, but the unusual circumstances of the case and the fact that the dog attacked Hubble before he stabbed it allowed him to be merciful in his sentencing.

Hubble, who pleaded guilty to affray and possessing a knife in a public place, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to pay £250 towards prosecution costs.

He was also given 12 months supervision and ordered to do 70 hours of unpaid work.