A mentally-ill man plunged a knife into his friend's chest for goading him with gay taunts.

Benjamin De-Silva stabbed pal Patrick Dayneswood in the lung and said a little devil had told him to do it.

His victim only survived after undergoing emergency surgery and having three-quarters of one of his lungs removed.

Lewes Crown Court was told De-Silva, 31, turned on Mr Dayneswood because he had annoyed him.

While his friend was asleep, De-Silva picked the biggest knife he could find in his kitchen and plunged the eight-inch blade into the dozing man's chest.

Today he admitted attempted murder in court and was detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act for treatment.

The court heard following his arrest De-Silva, who suffers from schizophrenia, has been treated at Ashenhill secure mental hospital at Hellingly, near Hailsham.

Marcus Fletcher, prosecuting, told the court Mr Dayneswood, a friend for six years, went to visit De-Silva at his home in Ham Road, Shoreham, on the evening of March 8.

Mr Dayneswood, 38, woke up in hospital after the attack and has no memory of the assault.

But De-Silva told police when he was arrested that during the visit Mr Dayneswood had angered him when he made homosexual comments about him and called him Bender De-Silva.

De-Silva told officers after Dayneswood fell asleep on the sofa he decided to teach him a lesson to shut him up.

He said at 5.30pm he had the idea and at 5.43pm plunged the knife into his friend's chest.

The defendant described to police that it felt like he had a "little devil" on his shoulder telling him what to do and an angel saying, "No don't."

He said when he decided to kill his friend he chose the biggest knife.

As he pulled out the blade he cut his own hand, which was bleeding heavily.

He immediately felt remorse and disgust with himself and he went next door and told his neighbour what he had done.

When an ambulance arrived paramedics could not find a pulse and Mr Dayneswood was taken to Worthing Hospital for emergency surgery. He spent two weeks in intensive care receiving treatment.

Roger Booth, defending, described the case as dreadful.

He said: "The defendant admitted everything to the police."