A MAN needed seven stitches to a knife wound on his face after he was allegedly slashed in the street, it has been claimed.

Christopher Damerell had been in bed at his home in Briarwood Road, Lowestoft, when he heard a disturbance in the street and went out to investigate because he was concerned about his stepsons Jamie and Daniel Greenwood, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

He had been drinking at a family barbecue earlier in the day and couldn’t remember anything after walking out of his front door and then waking up in hospital, said Charles Kellett, prosecuting.

Before the court is Danny Cole, 24, of Greenfield Road, Lowestoft, who has denied wounding Mr Damerell with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm on August 27 2011, having an article with a blade and assaulting Jamie Greenwood by beating.

Mr Kellett alleged that Jamie Greenwood had seen Cole and another man come out of a house and thought they were carrying knives. He thought the men were coming for his brother Daniel and had tried to push them away and claimed he was then punched in the head by Cole.

Mr Greenwood’s girlfriend Carla Dixon allegedly then saw Cole stab Mr Damerell in the face with a knife and when she challenged him he allegedly told her he had “done it for fun”.

The police were called and in a prepared statement Cole said “I’ve done nothing wrong.

“All I’ve done is defend myself and my family.”.

Giving evidence, Mr Damerell said that following the alleged attack he had seven stitches in a cut on his forehead.

Cross-examined by Warwick Aleeson, defending Cole, Mr Damerell said he had not been aware of his stepson Daniel Greenwood smashing windows of a house in the area on the night in question.

He denied leaving his house carrying a knife and denied being involved in an incident in the street.

The trial continues today.