Scott Mackenzie threatened to cut off his victim's genitals when told his victim wanted to be a woman.

The attack was committed hours after the pair first met and victim William Wood, who was dressed as a woman, had stripped down to to a pair of ladies' satin pants.

Police arrived at Mackenzie’s flat in Inverness to find victim Mr Wood kneeling on the floor covered in blood with his attacker standing behind him holding a knife to his throat.

Officers managed to persuade the knife attacker to drop the weapon before they restrained him.

Mackenzie, who has previous convictions, committed the murder bid after he was freed under two separate bail orders at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Mackenzie admitted attempting to murder Mr Wood (24) on October 30 last year by repeatedly striking him with knives, threatening to cut off his private member and placing a knife to his neck, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The court heard on the previous afternoon Mackenzie's girlfriend, Louisa Chisholm, had introduced him to Mr Wood.

All three spent the afternoon drinking cider and Buckfast wine before returning to Mackenzie's flat where Miss Chisholm fell asleep.

The advocate depute Alastair Brown said Mr Wood made a pass at the other man but it was rejected.

Mackenzie became enraged when his girlfriend woke up and shouted at Mackenzie that he was "gay" and "filthy".

He went into the kitchen of his flat and returned with two knives.

He began shouting at Mr Wood telling him he hated homosexuals and began to cut and stab him during an ordeal that lasted more than two hours.

Paranoid schizophrenic Mackenzie (27), of Duncraig Street, in Inverness, told police he hated 'poofs'.

Mr Brown said Mr Wood described himself to the accused as a bisexual transvestite and was in the process of obtaining gender reassignment.

"During the time he spent in the company of the accused he was, as part of that treatment and also it appears as a matter of personal preference, dressed as a woman," said the prosecutor.

Mackenzie had been asking Mr Wood questions "on the theme of his sexuality". Mr Brown added: "Mr Wood formed the impression - erroneously it appears - that the accused was sexually interested in him. In what seems to have been the late evening, Mr Wood undressed down to a pair of ladies' satin pants."

Defence solicitor advocate Krista Johnston: "This wasn't an offence committed by him through any hatred on his part towards homosexuals, but rather because of the circumstances that arose on this occasion."

Miss Johnston said Mackenzie had expressed genuine remorse following the assault.

Judge Lord Brodie told Mackenzie, he accepted he had "no general dislike of homosexuals".

Lord Brodie added: "It is accepted that the victim made a pass at you and your then girlfriend made a remark which was upsetting."

As well as a jail sentence Lord Brodie also ordered that MacKenzie be kept under supervision for a further two years.

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