Clare: Man 'thought he'd killed' pubgoer in axe attack

During his second day in the witness box at Ipswich Crown Court, David Perry told a jury that he “wasn’t thinking” when he struck the man with the axe and hadn’t wanted to kill him.

The 40-year-old said that after the attack at the Bell Hotel in Clare he had just wanted to get out of the pub, but when he saw the man wasn’t moving he thought he’d killed him.

Perry denied a suggestion from prosecutor Carolyn Gardiner that he had left the victim for dead and had walked out of the pub thinking ‘“job done”.

He also denied that he had been in a “blind rage and had been unable to control his fury” when he attacked the man.

Perry described himself as an “absolute disgrace” and accepted that his behaviour had been affected by alcohol on the night in question.

Perry, of St Margarets Place, Stradishall, has admitted possession of an offensive weapon and wounding the victim with intent to do grievous bodily harm but denies attempted murder.

The court has heard that on March 19 last year, Perry had been drinking alone for about an hour before the victim came into the pub with two friends.

It is alleged that Perry tried to start a fight with the group and was physically ejected from the premises.

He had returned a few minutes later with an axe from the back of his van and attacked the victim with it

The man, in his 30s, was taken to hospital with head injuries and underwent surgery.

The court heard that he had made a good recovery but still had headaches and medical experts said his injuries could have been life-threatening or left him permanently disabled.

Following the incident Perry had allegedly told a supermarket cashier that he had made "the worst decision" of his life.

During his evidence, Perry apologised to the victim and his family.

He claimed that after being forced out of the pub he realised he had left his phone behind and had returned with the axe as a “deterrent” in case of further trouble.

The trial continues.