A violent criminal who threatened a group of door-to-door charity collectors with a large butcher’s knife after hurling racist abuse at one of them has been locked up for 16 months.

Tony Golec threatened to plunge it into Macmillan Cancer Support team leader Dean Stokes, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Mr Stokes had gone to assist his colleague, Masnun Taher, who was on the receiving end of a foul-mouthed racist rant from Golec who had been arguing in the street with his partner, prosecutor Sharon Amesu said.

She told the court the men were among three volunteers raising funds for the cancer charity in West Bowling, Bradford, in the early evening of September 6 last year.

Golec, 36, of Weller Close, West Bowling, shouted abuse at Mr Taher after demanding to know what he was staring at.

When Mr Stokes came over to calm the situation down, Golec went to his house and emerged with a large butcher’s knife, Mrs Amesu said.

He threatened to stab Mr Stokes with the eight-inch blade. The charity workers left and called the police.

Golec pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm and distress and having a bladed article in a public place.

The court was told he had 30 convictions for 130 offences, including causing grievous bodily with intent, causing actual bodily harm, robbery and offences of having a bladed article.

Golec’s barrister, Claire Larton, said he never intended to use the knife, just to frighten the charity workers.

Golec had a history of depression and drug misuse and was sorry for the distress he caused.