A man who carried out a “sustained” knife attack on a stranger at a Rhos-on-Sea restaurant has been jailed for six years.

Dalton Morrisey was told he posed a “serious risk” to the public and could serve the full length of his sentence after which he will be on licence for three years following his release from custody.

Gareth Edwards suffered 25 stab wounds after he was attacked by Morrisey wielding a steak knife in the toilets of Hickory’s Smokehouse at the seaside resort.

One of the blows punctured his victim’s lung and Mr Edwards told Mold Court the damage caused had left him breathless. He has been diagnosed with PTSD and had not yet been able to return to work six months after the incident.

Morrisey, 26, of Pen Y Cwm, Llandudno was previously cleared by a jury of attempting to murder Mr Edwards on August 10 last year.

He pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm as well as possession of a bladed article.

Judge Rhys Rowlands told him: “You repeatedly attacked him (Mr Edwards) when drunk on licensed premises for no rational reason.

“He was left with 25 wounds, fortunately only one of them was of significant depth, but that was due to him trying to fend you off.

“If he hadn’t then the injuries would have been far worse, even fatal.

“It was his misfortune that he came across you. You had drunk far too much and became morose. It was a sustained attack in which he was pursued into the toilet cubicle. You were the aggressor from the beginning to the end and the attack has had a very profound effect on Mr Edwards.”

Morrisey’s victim told the court he spent six days in hospital recovering and was receiving counselling. He said: “During the attack and when I was stabilised in hospital I genuinely felt I was going to die - because of the attack I am unable to spend long periods on my own even in my own home.”

Morrisey claimed during the trial that he had little recollection of attacking Mr Edwards in a toilet at the restaurant.

He had spent the evening drinking a large amount of beer and cocktails with two friends and his mood darkened after a man, but not Mr Edwards, warned him off chatting up a woman at the bar. He picked up cutlery from a table with the intention of self-harming.

Mr Edwards said the first he realised he was under attack was when he was stabbed in the back. He sought refuge in the toilet cubicle and eventually fought back, grabbing the knife and stabbing Morrisey in the leg.

When Morrisey was arrested he said: “Some guy has annoyed me”.

He told police he could only remember inflicting “the first couple of blows” with the knife and added: “I don’t like violence or conflict. I was devastated when it happened. I’ve never been in trouble before I just can’t believe that I inflicted these injuries on Mr Edwards.”

Defence barrister Duncan Bould said: “He (Morrisey) has genuine empathy with Mr Edwards’ position and a genuine wish he could turn the clock back.

“He believes he fully deserves a long period in custody.”

Judge Rowlands told Morrisey he was not imposing a determinate sentence and there would be no release on licence at its halfway mark.