A Dunedin man faces six years in jail in the United Kingdom after slashing his son-in-law's throat with a kitchen knife.
Rodney Dennis Cohen, a 68-year-old pensioner, shouted ''die, you bastard'' from the balcony of his son-in-law's Harpenden home as the man fled to a nearby pub, the Daily Mail reported.
He admitted a charge of wounding with intent and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment on October 31.
Cohen had flown to England after learning his daughter Jane's marriage to structural engineer Declan Campbell was ''on the rocks'', the St Albans Crown Court was told.
The two men had been to Sainsbury's in the town of St Albans to buy beer on July 26 and were drinking on the balcony of Mr Campbell's house when Cohen crept up behind his son-in-law, pulled his head back and cut his neck with a knife.
Blood poured from the 10cm wound. Cohen only narrowly missed the man's jugular.
When he was arrested, Cohen told police: ''I am sorry. I saw the knife and picked it up and sliced it across his throat.''
He told them the pair had been arguing and he accused Mr Campbell of making derogatory comments about his daughter, who was away at the time.
When approached by the Otago Daily Times, neighbours described Cohen as a quiet man who kept to himself.
He had moved into a Chapman St, Wakari, house, which he owned, after leaving Christchurch following the earthquakes. He lived by himself.
A neighbour said Cohen had left for the UK in May and intended to only stay for six weeks.
Attempts by the ODT to contact Cohen's son and his daughter, who remains in the UK, were unsuccessful.
Cohen left the UK as a teenager and his children were raised in Christchurch.
The court heard Cohen hoped to help the couple mend their relationship.
They married in July 2013 after meeting four months earlier.
Mr Campbell was rushed to hospital after the attack with two slashed veins and a gaping neck wound and was unconscious for 24 hours.
Prosecutor David Stanton said the attack was unprovoked.
''Mr Campbell ran from his house and heard Mr Cohen laughing as he left. He heard him shouting, 'Die, you bastard'.''
Mr Campbell said he had to hold his jugular together with his fingers to stay alive. Speaking outside court, he told the Daily Mail he had not seen his wife since the attack because she chose to stand by her father.
Mr Campbell said: ''Jane and I had resolved all our issues back in February. We were just a young married couple very much in love.
''He came in and poisoned our marriage. He has destroyed the whole lot and I think it is because he was jealous of us.
''Jane was the love of my life. She gave me butterflies and he took that away from me.
''We had some arguments but they were about hanging the towel up or about ordering her the wrong meal. There were never any big bust-ups.''
