A KNIFE-WIELDING thug told his girlfriend “someone’s getting killed” before injuring a man with a knife.

Danny Whitelock hunted the victim before finding and confronting him in Rosebery Avenue, Colchester.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how the 30-year-old texted his girlfriend to say “bye bye” to his victim before hunting him down in the early hours of October 15, 2020.

On the night of the incident, Whitelock, of North Road, Clacton, located his victim near East Hill, Colchester, and pulled up beside him in a vehicle.

After an exchange of words, he produced a knife and pointed it out the car window, waving it in the victim’s face before getting out of the vehicle and confronting him.

The court heard how the victim turned to run and felt “a prick in his back” before turning round and being struck by the knife on his right hand.

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Whitelock then fled the scene, but was stopped at a roundabout nearby more than one hour later, where a knife with the victim’s blood on it was seized by police officers.

Whitelock admitted charges of possessing a knife in a public place, threatening a person with a blade and wounding with intent and was handed two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Catherine Bradshaw, mitigating, said any immediate prison sentence would have a “catastrophic” effect on Whitelock’s three-year-old son.

She added: “He has showed remorse even in texts and messages at the time. Mr Whitelock is immature in relationships, which explains his reaction on that night.”

Recorder Jeremy Benson said it was a “very close” call as the injuries the victim sustained were “serious, but not as serious as they could have been”.

He said: “You foolishly went out with a knife and, as a result of trying to scare someone, you caused injury to them recklessly.

“You must understand knives are extremely dangerous, whatever your intention may be when you take it out.”

Whitelock was ordered to pay court costs of £666 and £1,000 compensation to the victim, and must also undertake 20 days of a rehabilitation requirement.