AN alcoholic who was saved from harming himself by a passer-by who wrestled a knife from his hand has been given a chance to seek treatment for his addiction.

Mohammed Kader, 51, called the police and told the operator he was going to kill himself after leaving his home armed with a knife.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how a passer-by, a support worker pushing a client along in a wheelchair, intervened.

Diana Pigot, prosecuting, told the court the Good Samaritan held Kader’s hand and hugged him, while Kader repeated his intention to take his own life.

He grabbed the knife from Kader’s hand, throwing it to the floor and kicked it to one side.

Ms Pigot said: “He noted the defendant was still on the phone to the police and so he gave details to the operator.

“It’s right to say the defendant kept asking where the knife was, he kept trying to pull away to reach it as it was nearby.

“He bent down, picked up the knife and went to jab at his neck around the jugular area.”

The kind stranger again managed to wrestle the knife away from Kader before he could harm himself.

Kader, who has 21 convictions for 28 offences, admitted possession of a knife in Colchester.

He also admitted breaching a conditional discharge and breaching a four-week suspended prison sentence, put in place for being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol.

The court heard his offending was routed in a long-standing alcohol addiction.

He had been in custody for eight months since the knife possession charge, and hoped to seek help from the probation service.

Recorder Simon Mayo QC elected to give Kader, of Marram Close, Colchester, a chance at rehabilitation and treatment, forgoing a prison sentence.

He imposed a community order requiring Kader to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month alcohol treatment requirement.

The suspended sentence was activated, but he had already served the time in custody.