AN ALLEGED "happy slapping" victim sought revenge on his attackers by going after them with an axe.

But the axe man tyrefitter Justin Hall - threatened the wrong man after walking through Bourne End looking for his alleged assailants.

Wycombe Magistrates Court heard on Monday, September 19, how Justin Hall, 21, from Blind Lane, Bourne End, was in a "drunk" and "aggressive" state as he went into his back garden at around 11pm on Saturday, July 23, to get an axe before going after his attackers.

Andy Calendar, prosecuting, said Hall's mother heard her son say: "That's it. The Bourne End lot have just picked on me," before he left his home with the 16-inch weapon in his hand. Hall then forced three cars to swerve out of his way as he walked in the middle of the road towards Lloyds TSB in The Parade, Bourne End.

There, he approached his 19-year-old victim Gareth Ware.

Mr Calendar said: "Mr Ware said Mr Hall grabbed hold of his friend's left arm and said you are the ones' but he had got the wrong males."

Mr Calendar added that Hall was within four inches of Mr Ware who thought that Hall was going to hit him.

However, no one was harmed as a witness managed to grab the axe out of the man's hand. Hall later told police he was planning to "chop the hands off" the men who had attacked him earlier that night.

Christopher Hogg, defending, said Hall had no intention of chopping off anyone's hands off as he was just "letting off steam" because earlier that evening, a group of 16 men subjected him to a "happy slapping" offence outside a pub in Bourne End.

One of the men punched Hall in the jaw while another recorded the incident on a mobile phone, said Mr Hogg.

Mr Hogg said: "After this incident Mr Hall felt out of control and very vulnerable and understood that his actions were inappropriate."

Hall pleaded guilty to charges of being in possession of an offensive weapon and threatening Mr Ware with the axe.

Hall was bailed and is due to be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court.

A date is yet to be fixed.