A MAN who turns into a "monster" when his relationships break down has been jailed for life after he attacked a former girlfriend with a foot-long knife.
Kevin Collins, 45, tried to stab the mother-of-four in the street when she ended their relationship because he became possessive.
She only escaped "very serious injury, if not death" when Collins was rugby tackled by a policeman, who had failed to stop him by hitting him with a baton.
A judge praised the officer for his bravery.
Hull Crown Court heard Collins was particularly dangerous because he mostly appears "perfectly normal and harmless", but resorts to extreme violence when his relationships fail.
He had previously been jailed for three years for stabbing an ex-girlfriend's new partner after breaking into their home and lying in wait.
He received the same sentence in Ireland for setting fire to the home of another former partner, and six months for harassment of another.
Judge Simon Jack said Collins was one of the most dangerous offenders he had come across and jailed him for life with a minimum term of six years.
He can only be released with the Home Secretary's approval when he is no longer deemed a risk to the public.
Collins, who appeared in court via a video link from Hull Prison, sat with his head in his hands as Judge Jack told him: "I have come to the conclusion that you are one of the most dangerous people I have ever had to deal with.
"You are all the more dangerous because most of the time you appear perfectly normal and harmless.
"You get into relationships with women who probably think you are normal and harmless, but history shows that is not the case at all, because when those relationships go wrong, you resort to very serious violence, or at the very least the threat of very serious violence."
The court heard Collins's latest victim, who lives in St Ives Close, Bransholme, met him through a dating website in May last year.
She went to meet him at his then home in Harlow, Essex, three months later, and he came to stay at hers for a weekend in November.
He moved into a flat in Hull in February this year.
But the woman became concerned that he was possessive, and on a visit to Beamish Folk Museum, in Durham, he complained about her son "talking to people from the North East".
She ended the relationship but began receiving text messages in which Collins talked about killing himself.
One message said: "Why are you blanking me? Why have you f****d my head.
"You're hurting me. You've got someone else."
At 2pm on June 9, the victim got off the number 30 bus in Bransholme and was walking along Midmere Avenue towards Perran Close when she saw Collins walking towards her with a holdall she had given him.
She noticed his eyes were "glazed", and as he came within 5ft he pulled the knife out and said: "I'm going to stick you."
Collins then began "thrusting" the knife towards her with his right hand while trying to grab her with the left.
The woman said: "If you kill me you'll leave my kids without a mother."
Collins, who had drunk eight cans of "super-strength" lager, replied: "Those kids are all you care about. I'm going to kill you."
The woman kept edging away and shouting for help and two police officers arrived after being alerted by a neighbour.
PC Jonothan Self hit Collins on the leg with his baton, then dragged him to the ground by his waist when he continued his attack.
Collins still had the knife in his hand when he was pinned down.
The judge said of the officer: "It's right that I should commend PC Self.
"He ignored the risk to himself and tackled you, notwithstanding the large knife you had in your hand.
"I commend him for his courage."
Collins, of Boulevard, west Hull, admitted attempted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, making threats to kill, and possession of an offensive weapon.
He was also made subject to a restraining order barring him from contacting the victim or her family, and from entering East Yorkshire.
