A TEENAGER who has “violent fantasies about hurting people” took a knife into a town centre to rob someone before stabbing a stranger outside a kebab shop.

Tyler Menzies, 18, told police he had no regrets after stabbing a 63-year-old man in Crouch Street, Colchester, in May.

Ipswich Crown Court heard the victim, Paul Fairweather, had been out on the town with a friend and had ended the night at Rubix nightclub.

David Baird, prosecuting, said he emerged from the club in the early hours of the morning, before heading across the road to get some food.

“Their mood was very good because they came out of the nightclub singing an 80s song,” he said.

The court heard Menzies, sitting with two other youngsters near a kebab shop, “did not take very kindly to the singing or activities of Mr Fairweather”.

A verbal confrontation ensued, before Menzies drew a knife and lunged at Mr Fairweather.

The victim was able to partially move out of the way, before Menzies struck out a further four or five times.

The teenager fled the scene and was found a short distance away in a car park by a police officer.

The five-inch blade with a serrated edge, was found nearby. In hospital, Mr Fairweather received stitches to a single puncture wound to his chest.

Menzies admitted carrying out the attack in interview, telling the police he was carrying the knife that night as he was looking for someone to rob.

Mr Baird said: “He didn’t have a specific victim in mind, he stated ‘any target will do’.”

Menzies told the police he “didn’t have any regrets”.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Fairweather said he had been “fighting to survive” when Menzies launched his attack.

The court heard he had been reliving the incident “every hour he was awake”.

“It dawned on me how close this came to a fatal incident,” he said.

“To use a knife in a fight is an act of a coward.”

He said Menzies’ reasons for carrying the knife left him worried he may kill someone if left at large.

Judge Martyn Levett took the court to a psychiatric report prepared on Menzies, which noted he has “violent fantasies about hurting people and being involved in gang violence”.

The author noted “every time he thought about stabbing or robbing someone he got a butterfly feeling”.

Menzies, of Walsingham Road, Colchester, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.

Judge Levett said he wished to review CCTV footage before proceeding to sentence.

The hearing will continue on Tuesday, October 19.