A Suffolk man who was upset at the breakdown of his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend brandished a kitchen knife and a metal bar at her new partner, it has been alleged.

Damien Hadley was driving along Simons Cross, in Wickham Market, on October 19 last year when he allegedly saw Tristan Giles standing in the middle of the road, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He allegedly saw Giles, who had recently split up with his girlfriend, pull a kitchen knife with a ten-inch blade from the waistband of his trousers and noticed he was holding a metal bar in his other hand, said Charles Kellett, prosecuting.

Mr Hadley tried to drive round him but as he did so Giles allegedly kicked out at the car, loosening the front bumper.

He had then allegedly struck the passenger side of the car with the metal bar, said Mr Kellet.

Giles, 23, of The Old Workhouse, Wickham Market, has denied sending a threatening telephone message on October 17 last year and affray, damaging property and having a metal bar and a kitchen knife in Simons Cross on October 19 last year.

The court heard that Giles was in a relationship with Rebecca Greenacre from the early part of 2016 until around September or October last year.

On October 17 Miss Greenacre, who was pregnant, went to Giles’ home to pick up her belongings and while she was there he had allegedly damaged a door and a bed.

Later he had allegedly called her mobile phone and threatened to “take her head off”, said Mr Kellett.

He alleged that Giles felt hostility towards Mr Hadley for “poaching” his girlfriend and this had resulted in the incident on October 19 when he allegedly damaged Mr Hadley’s car.

Giving evidence Mr Hadley denied a suggestion that he had driven at Giles as he was crossing the road.

Cross-examined by Joanne Eley, for Giles, Mr Hadley denied that the silver BMW he was driving on October 19 has been previously been damaged in an accident.

He denied that he had tried to run Giles over and that his claim that the defendant was holding a knife and a metal bar was a “figment of his imagination”.

The trial continues.