A MAN attacked a Weymouth taxi driver and was seen brandishing a knife on the Esplanade less than a week later, a court was told.

Tomaz Pawel Dyrda, aged 30, appeared at Dorchester Crown Court after admitting charges of assault and possessing an offensive weapon.

Carolyn Branford-Wood, prosecuting, told the court that at around 1am on March 13 taxi driver James Hodder was in St Edmund Street when he saw the defendant seemingly striking out at his vehicle with his fists and feet.

She said Mr Hodder and another taxi driver went to stop him and he was struck to the face by Dyrda then kicked to the back of the leg and grabbed by the throat.

Miss Branford-Wood said others stepped in and pulled the defendant to the floor but he was still grabbing Mr Hodder by the throat.

Police arrived and arrested Dyrda, who was bailed and five days later he was captured on the Weymouth town centre CCTV in a verbal argument with another man.

He was seen to pull out a knife with a two-and-a-half-inch blade, which the other man grabbed off him and dropped to the floor.

Police again arrived and arrested the defendant.

Dyrda also admitted the offences put him in breach of a conditional discharge imposed on March 15 for an offence of being drunk and disorderly.

Judge Roger Jarvis decided to defer sentence and give Dyrda a chance to continue his efforts and also said he would be expected to stay out of trouble and keep in employment.

Dyrda will now be sentenced on October 19.