A jealous dad left his girlfriend's lover paralysed when he shouted "die" and stabbed her in the neck.
Alan Harter hurled a brick at Lorraine Maxwell's window after realising his partner, Mary Sweeney, was in her bed.
The 56-year-old then threatened Miss Maxwell over the phone, shouting: "I'm going to murder you! I'm going to kill you! Watch what I am going to do!"
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Judge David Aubrey, QC, today said: "Those were not hollow or idle words and you were determined to do precisely that."
Liverpool Crown Court heard Harter and Miss Sweeney were in a relationship "on and off" for 12 years and have two children, aged one and four.
Martin Reid, prosecuting, said: "She states the defendant has been violent to her in the past and describes him as 'the jealous type'."
He said Miss Maxwell lived four doors down from Harter in Onslow Road, Fairfield and had become friends with Miss Sweeney.
Mr Reid said: "Over time, the complainant's friendship with Ms Sweeney developed into a romantic relationship, which lasted about four months, and ended a few weeks before the offence took place."
He added: "The defendant had, in the past, shouted at the complainant in the street and told her to stay away from his ex-girlfriend."
The court heard Miss Sweeney had recently moved back in with Harter, but on Saturday, September 4, spent the night at Miss Maxwell's flat, after leaving her children with Harter.
Mr Reid said: "Ms Sweeney states the defendant had been using cocaine through the night, before she went to the complainant's flat."
The two women had a few drinks and went to sleep in Miss Maxwell's bed, before the victim woke at around 5am on Sunday, September 5 to the sound of her living room window smashing.
Miss Maxwell shouted to Miss Sweeney, who realised she had missed calls from Harter on her phone.
They went outside and found a brick under the window, with Miss Sweeney's purse next to it and her bank cards cut in half.
Miss Sweeney rang Harter and accused him of smashing the window, which he denied, before he called back and asked to speak to Miss Maxwell.
Mr Reid said Miss Sweeney heard Harter shouting the threats to murder Miss Maxwell.
Harter, appearing on a video link from prison, shouted: "That's not true."
Mr Reid said neither of the women took the threats seriously and Miss Maxwell "just laughed".
He said Miss Sweeney went out for a cigarette, when she saw Harter running down the street and tried to grab him, but he pushed past and went into the flat.
Mr Reid said Miss Maxwell saw "the silver part of a knife" before Harter repeatedly stabbed her and shouted: "Die."
Harter again complained in court: "No, that's not true."
The victim collapsed and lost consciousness, before Harter fled.
Miss Sweeney saw blood coming from Miss Maxwell's neck, as the victim cried for help, and tried to stem the flow with a tea towel.
Mr Reid said: "Ms Maxwell states she lost all feeling in her body and the only thing she could feel was her head."
Miss Sweeney called for an ambulance and police arrived at 5.30am and gave first aid, before an officer spotted Harter walking up the street with his children.
He was arrested and in a police vehicle said: "My partner is having a lesbian relationship with the one in the ambulance."
Police found his blood stained clothes in his home and a steak knife with a 3cm blade in a neighbour's garden, before he gave a largely no comment interview.
Miss Maxwell was treated at hospital for two wounds to her neck, two wounds to one of her arms, and single wounds to her jaw, one of her ears, her right armpit and her back.
Doctors found direct damage to the spinal cord in her neck, which resulted in "immediate right sided paralysis" and weakness in her arms and legs.
She was referred to Southport Spinal Injuries Unit but as of November 3 was still in hospital awaiting a bed at the unit.
The victim requires 24-nursing care, having made only "minor" improvements.
Mr Reid said a doctor concluded: "Complete recovery is extremely unlikely and that Ms Maxwell is likely to require care for the rest of her life."
Harter, who has no previous convictions, admitted attempted murder at a crown court hearing, entitling him to 25% credit off his sentence.
Mr Reid said in a pre-sentence report Harter used the pejorative term "d***s" but it was appeared the attack was motivated by his belief the victim was in a relationship with Miss Sweeney rather than "hostility towards her sexual orientation".
Judge Aubrey said he had twice heard Harter dispute quotes attributed to him.
After consulting with his client, Julian Nutter, defending, confirmed he would be sentenced on the "full facts" of the prosecution case.
Mr Nutter said: "Through me he wishes to express absolute remorse. He's truly sorry for what he's done to his victim. He wishes that he could roll the clock back, he truly does."
He said the attack was "wholly out of character" for Harter.
Mr Nutter said: "By his actions not only has he caused misery to his victim, he has also lost his children, lost his home and lost his liberty."
The lawyer said Harter would likely spend "most of the rest of his life" in prison.
He added: "Through me he apologises. There's nothing really to add to that. It's a tragic case. Things got out of hand."
Judge Aubrey told Harter: "You were consumed with jealousy, anger and cocaine."
He said: "Intending to kill your victim, you ran at Ms Maxwell and repeatedly stabbed her.
"It was in my judgement a savage attack upon a defenceless woman and during the attack you shouted 'die' - a chilling word and said in rage."
The judge said Miss Maxwell was likely to require third party care and medical treatment for the rest of her life.
He said: "She feels imprisoned, her life has been turned upside down and she describes having no real life now and feeling trapped."
Judge Aubrey jailed Harter for 22 and a half years, of which he will have to serve two thirds - 15 years - behind bars.
He told sobbing Harter that he will not be released on licence until he is 71, as members of both the defendant and the victim's families also cried in court.
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