A 64-year-old man caused £15,000 damage to cars with a knife after a love affair with a childhood sweetheart turned sour.

Geoffrey Emms, whose wife was seriously ill with dementia, hoped to revive his secret romance by becoming “the knight in shining armour”, Worcester Crown Court was told.

He attacked several cars in Malvern – including the woman’s – with a knife, planning to comfort her after pretending she was the victim of vandals. For a time the plan worked. But two months later, the relationship ended, and in a fit of revenge he launched fresh attacks and threw a brick through the woman’s bedroom window, said Susan Cliff, prosecuting.

Emms, of Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, near Malvern, pleaded guilty to six counts of criminal damage and asked for 22 similar crimes to be taken into consideration.

He was given a two-year conditional discharge and told to pay £11,517 compensation within three months.

Judge Alistair McCreath said the father-of-three had led an impeccable life until he engaged in “foolish acts of a man at the end of his tether”. He added: “You damaged her car so that she would fall back into your arms when you came to console her. To disguise the offence you had to vandalise other cars.

Emms married young and had a happy marriage until his wife became ill aged 52 and had to give up her job.

After she was taken into care, by chance he met a married woman he had known 50 years ago and they rekindled their previous love affair.

The original romance had ended because Emms’ strict mother disapproved.

The relationship lasted nine months but in April the couple had a row which triggered the damage spree.

By June the woman decided to end the affair, which made Emms “angry and he sought revenge”, said Mrs Cliff.

He was seen by the woman by her home after the last attack. She alerted police.

Some damage was put right by insurance claims but more than £11,000 was paid out from victims’ pockets.

Joe Kieran, defending, said: “He wishes to offer his heart-felt apologies and deep sense of regret to those who were on the receiving end of his bizarre, extraordinary and irrational misconduct.”