Terrified shop workers locked themselves in a supermarket after a knife attacker "exploded" and stabbed two men at random.

Patrick Jardine wounded two men and tried to injure a third after consuming alcohol and drugs.

Staff at a branch of the Co-op in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, closed the shop with customers inside to provide them with a safe place during the attacks.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday that Jardine had consumed a bottle of vodka and taken 25 diazepam tablets after his mother’s death before attacking on members of the public.

Defence counsel Thomas Ross said: "He has absolutely no recollection of events whatsoever. He didn't know any of the people.

"This was truly out of character for him and must have been in some way connected with his depression following on his bereavement."

Lord Brailsford told Jardine: "There was a very considerable degree of violence used in relation to these offences.

"You were plainly not behaving in a way normal to yourself. I have no difficulty in accepting your remorse is genuine."

Jardine admitted trying to murder Joe Hagan by stabbing him with a knife to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life on August 28 last year at Dubbs Road, in Port Glasgow.

He also pled guilty to assaulting John McIntyre to his injury by stabbing him and attempting to stab Paul McElwee on the same date. Jardine admitted committing a breach of the peace by brandishing the weapon.

Punched

The 38-year-old from Port Glasgow approached Mr Hagan as he walked towards shops and without warning stabbed him in the stomach. The victim at first thought he had been punched but quickly realised it was a knife wound.

Mr Hagan told teenage girls passing by, who could see his T-shirt was blood stained, that he had been stabbed and sought help.

Prosecutor Hugh Irwin said police "received numerous telephone calls from members of the public reporting that there was a male in Dubbs Road in possession of a knife having stabbed and attempting to stab members of the public."

Mr McIntyre was standing talking to his mother and her partner when Jardine walked up and turned him round before knifing him in the stomach.He tried to grab the weapon from his attacker and suffered a cut to a finger sustaining nerve and tendon damage.

Jardine continued to brandish the knife in front of members of the public and staff at the Co-op were told by frightened customers that he was stabbing people outside the shop and decided to close its doors to provide a place of safety.

Mr McElwee was walking to a function hall to attend a christening when without warning Jardine lunged at him with the knife and tried to stab him.

Police arrived to find Jardine still armed and brandishing the knife at people and CS spray was used on him. He was taken to Greenock police station and told an officer: "I have been under a lot of pressure from other people. I just exploded."

He told police during a later interview that he had completely no memory of the events and asked that his sincere apologies be passed on. Mr Hagan underwent surgery following the attack on him and Mr McIntyre had his stomach wound sutured and was operated on to repair damage to his hand.

Jardine was jailed for seven years for the attacks.