A KNIFEMAN who targets women has been jailed after he challenged armed police to shoot him.

Jonathan David O'Hare grabbed a knife from his father's York kitchen and threatened his neighbours before throwing gravel and hitting Sandra Scrivener, said prosecutor David Garnett.

Then he called to armed police: "Come on, shoot me", before lying down on his stomach.

He had taken cannabis and crack cocaine, and had been drinking before the incident.

It was the second time he had pulled a knife on a woman.

York Crown Court heard that in 2002 he was given a six-year sentence including a three-year jail term for three night time indecent assaults on women at knifepoint.

Giving a long list of reasons why O'Hare was dangerous, the Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman said: "The probation officer regards you as a particularly high risk to the public, particularly to women."

He gave O'Hare a three-year extended sentence of a two-year jail term, followed by a year's extra supervision after he is released. O'Hare smiled as he was taken down to the court cells and the judge said: "I can see from your demeanour that the sentence makes not the slightest impact on you."

O'Hare, 21, now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to affray in Stone Riggs, Stockton-on-the-Forest, carrying an offensive knife in public and assault. He had a previous conviction for arson endangering life and had started a fire when remanded in custody in the past.

Mr Garnett said, on March 28, O'Hare wanted to "stamp on the head" of Mrs Scrivener's nephew. When she said her relative had not been to her house since January, O'Hare pulled out the knife.

O'Hare's barrister, Andrew Semple, told that court Mrs Scrivener's husband said: "Put the knife down, Jonathan and we will see how big you are." O'Hare retreated to his parents' driveway. He handed over the knife to another man before the police arrived. The incident had not been premeditated.

He accepted he had a drink problem and was a risk to women and wanted help. He had repeatedly been unwilling or unable to stick to his parole conditions, leading to the authorities repeatedly sending him back to jail.