A TEENAGER has admitted stabbing a stranger outside a kebab house in Colchester - and is set to spend a long time behind bars.

Tyler Menzies, 18, was arrested shortly after patrolling officers discovered a 63-year-old man with stab wounds in Crouch Street, Colchester.

Following the attack in the early hours of May 23, the victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Menzies, of Walsingham Road, Colchester, was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a kitchen knife.

He indicated guilty pleas to both charges at his first appearance before magistrates in Colchester in May.

Appearing before Judge Emma Peters at Ipswich Crown Court, the teenager admitted the charges.

His barrister Sasha Bailey called for a psychiatric report to be prepared ahead of a sentencing hearing.

The court heard he has previous convictions for possession of a knife and two assaults on emergency service workers.

Ms Bailey said her client accepted he had stabbed the victim in police interview.

“He accepted what he had done that evening and he accepted the complainant was a stranger to him,” she said.

“It was thought by the other male there had been some disparaging remarks to a female he was with.

“One of the males walks towards him, he thought he was going to kick him, but Mr Menzies accepts he pulled out a knife and stabbed the complainant.”

Judge Peters ordered psychiatric and pre-sentence reports, to be completed ahead of a sentencing hearing at the same court on Friday, October 8.

She called the attack “an inexplicable stabbing with no apparent motive”.

She said: “It seems it is right the defendant tries to stab him a couple of times before he is successful, with no apparent motivation at all. This is a stranger to him.

“It is quite concerning and I would have thought the issue of dangerousness would have to be explored by whoever sentences in this case.”

Menzies was remanded in custody and told the time he in spends in custody will count towards his sentence.