A teenager who had violent fantasies about hurting people stabbed a 63-year-old man with a kitchen knife in a late night attack in Colchester town centre, a court has heard

Following his arrest 18-year-old Tyler Menzies told police he had no regrets about what he’d done and said he’d gone out with the knife intending to stab or rob someone.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that Menzies had told a psychiatrist he had violent fantasies about hurting people and being involved in gang violence and that he got a “butterfly feeling” when he thought about stabbing someone.

Menzies, 18, of Walsingham Road, Colchester, admitted wounding Paul Fairweather with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and having a knife in the early hours of Sunday May 23.

The court heard that Menzies had a previous conviction for having a machete on a train and assaulting a police officer with hot water.

Judge Martyn Levett adjourned sentence until October 19 so he can view CCTV of the incident.

He remanded Menzies in custody and said he was keeping an open mind as to whether he should regard him as a dangerous offender.

The court heard that Mr Fairweather and a friend had been in Rubix nightclub in Crouch Street and when they left they had been in high spirits and were singing an 80s song.

David Baird, prosecuting, said Menzies, who was with two other people, “didn’t take kindly to the singing” and there was a confrontation.

Mr Fairweather told Menzies to “shut up” and then saw him pull out a knife and lunge towards him.

He managed to move slightly backwards and the knife made contact with the area near his armpit.

Following the initial blow Menzies had made four or five further attempts to stab Mr Fairweather who had kicked out at him and avoided any further injury, said Mr Baird.

Menzies had run off but was arrested shortly afterwards in a car park after discarding the knife which had a five-inch serrated blade.

He later told police he’d had the knife to stab or rob someone and “any target would do.”

Mr Fairweather was taken to Colchester Hospital and had stitches in a puncture wound just above his left armpit.

In a victim impact statement he said he had suffered flashbacks since the attack and felt he could have died if he hadn’t managed to move backwards.

He said anyone who used a knife in a fight was a coward.