He remained defiant, remarkably unruffled by his sentence.

"My Lord, I can do that," declared Nigel Bruce of his 20 year stretch.

He had just found guilty of wounding Sarah Ann Stevens, a Southampton licensee, with intent to murder her in a totally unprovoked and savage attack.

Bruce had seemed the perfect customer. Courteous at being served, he strolled into the back garden of the Crown Street pub in Highfield, Southampton, admiring her flowers and showing a keen interest in horticulture.

He then returned to the bar where he amicably chatted with her about the display before she went into the kitchen. Suddenly she heard a gentle tap on the door and answering it, saw Bruce who politely asked her to fill his bottle.

She agreed and innocently turned her back, only to suddenly feel a blow at her throat from behind.

Wheeled around, she saw Bruce armed with large knife. He went to stab her but she managed to fend off the blade which slashed her knuckles.

Stevens then rushed out in the street and sought the help of two passers by who extraordinarily ignored her cries. Fortunately, Bruce ran off.

It was however not long before police caught up with Bruce who gave conflicting accounts in interview.

Initially he said there must have been some mistake, they had simply arrested the wrong man - but the knife was found on him.

Bizarrely he then maintained he had attacked the wrong woman because he had not been sober. He finally admitted he had stabbed her but had not intended to murder her.

However, a doctor giving evidence at his trial at Hampshire Assizes in 1888 maintained that had been nothing short of a miracle.

The surgeon, Mr Ives, told jurors the wound on her windpipe was half an inch long but of no depth.

"However, considering the formidable character of the knife, it was a marvel the windpipe was not severed. There were wounds on the thumb of the right hand down to the bone, and on the left hand a piece of bone was forced from her knuckles."

In summing up, the judge, Baron Huddleston, denigrated the men from whom the landlady had sought help, as "dastardly cowards."

The question for the jury was to determine whether this was an attempt to murder or cause grievous bodily harm.

Without leaving their seats, they unanimously convicted Bruce of the more serious allegation.

They then learnt of his criminal past which chiefly consisted of burglary and theft.

"Now you have committed this diabolical act, and it was only God's providence that he had not caused murder," said the judge.

"If it had been so, you would have left with execution. A man of your brutal and violent character, whose intention was almost as bad as murder itself, must be severely punished and I sentence you to 20 years penal servitude."

The Crown applied for Stevens to receive compensation but the judge said he had no power to make it, although he praised her courage.