A MAN accused of attempting to murder his former brother-in-law told a woman the night before the alleged attack that he was fed-up with the way he had been treating his sister.

Jane Hunt

A MAN accused of attempting to murder his former brother-in-law told a woman the night before the alleged attack that he was fed-up with the way he had been treating his sister.

Stephen Oliver had allegedly spoken about “sorting out” Sudbury plasterer Lee Brown and had mentioned using a knife.

Giving evidence on the second day of Oliver's trial at Ipswich Crown Court, Catherine Green said she thought that what he was saying was “drunken bravado” and hadn't taken him very seriously.

She said that during a visit to her home the night before the alleged attack on Mr Brown, Oliver had “not been happy” with Mr Brown and said he had been threatening his sister.

Oliver, 40, of FollyRoad, Great Waldingfield, has denied attempting to murder Mr Brown on July 31 last year and a less serious charge of wounding him with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

It has been alleged that Oliver went to Mr Brown's flat in Blackfriars, Sudbury, and slashed the tyres of his van.

Oliver had then knocked on Mr Brown's door and when he opened it he had allegedly attacked him with a lock knife and told him, “I'm going to kill you” and warned him “not to mess” with his family.

Mr Brown tried to protect himself but during the struggle that followed outside his flat he suffered a stab wound to the back of his neck and two wounds to his thigh measuring 2.5cm and 5cm deep.

Oliver was eventually disarmed and Mr Brown had taken his revenge by giving Oliver a black eye, said Mr Gair.

Giving evidence Mr Brown said he had children with Oliver's sister but the relationship had ended several years ago.

He said that immediately he answered his front door Oliver had lunged at him with a knife with a four inch blade.

He said Oliver had said he was going to kill him and in addition to wounds to his neck and thigh he also suffered slash marks on his hands.

“He was like a wild man,” said Mr Brown.

He accepted he had head-butted Oliver seven times while had had him pinned against his van.

Cross-examined by defence counsel Matthew McNiff Mr Brown denied that he had gone outside armed with a knife after seeing Oliver damaging his van.

Wendy Stroud, who witnessed the alleged incident from her flat in Blackfriars said she saw a man go up to Mr Brown's van and shortly afterwards she heard the sound of air escaping from a tyre.

Shortly afterwards she saw the man and Mr Brown “tussling” with each other and noticed that the other man was holding a knife which he was pointing at Mr Brown.

“He was moving towards Lee and Lee was moving away,” said Miss Stroud.

She had called the police and had seen blood coming out of Mr Brown's upper leg and on his face.

The trial continues today (WED).