A JILTED boyfriend masqueraded as a girl to lure his love rival into an ambush, York Crown Court heard.

Dennis Watson took a glass object in a sock to Selby Park to attack the man, while on bail for stealing £3,300 from his dying father’s bank account using his parent’s new bank card, said Nicholas Rooke, prosecuting.

Watson told police his relationship with his girlfriend ended when he found her in bed with someone else, said Mr Rooke.

In response, Watson sent erotic text messages to his love rival pretending to be a girl and the two agreed to meet for sex in a Selby park late on January 22.

But when they met, Watson punched his victim in the face and body, swung the weapon at him and throttled him until the man managed to wriggle out of his jacket and run off. He suffered bruises to his arm, neck, nose and the back of his head.

At the time of the attack, Watson was also on bail for twice misusing his mother’s bank card, throwing stones at his girlfriend’s family’s home and smashing a window.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told Watson: “Your father said before he died, you should not get away with this and you have committed offences whilst he was in his hospital. That was an extremely mean thing to do. You have got to understand that there are consequences to behaviour like this.”

Watson’s mother now had panic attacks as a result of his behaviour and had moved out of the area.

Watson, 23, of Windmire Court, Mexborough, was jailed for 15 months.

He admitted assault, carrying an offensive weapon, three charges of fraud, one of criminal damage and one of skipping bail.

His barrister Colin Burn said he was immature for his years and was childlike: “This really is a turning point in this defendant’s life. He is now for the first time on his own.”