A man accused of hitting a man on the head with a champagne bottle during a row at a west Suffolk nightclub has told a court he didn’t deliberately use the bottle as a weapon.

Garey Morgan told a jury at Ipswich Crown Court that he was in Brazilia’s nightclub in Bury St Edmunds and was trying to leave when a man “groped” his partner.

He turned to the man he believed was responsible and told him: “There’s no need for that. We are all here for a good time.”

He said the man had mumbled something and had a threatening look on his face and he then felt someone punch him in the chest.

Morgan claimed he was then punched again and felt “petrified”.

“My instinct was to find the exit. I just wanted to get out of the place,” Morgan said.

He said that at the time of the incident he was holding a champagne bottle and when the man lunged at him a third time he put up his hand up to to defend himself.

“He was bigger than me. He was quite intimidating. I put up my hand to defend myself. He was lunging towards me. I don’t know how the bottle hit his head,” Morgan said.

He said he hadn’t seen any blood on the man’s face and had then been dragged away by door staff.

“I had to defend myself. It was very instinctive – I didn’t go out to hurt anyone,” Morgan said.

He denied going to the bar area and picking up a bottle and deliberately hitting the man with it.

Morgan, 47, of London, has denied assaulting Aly Chandler causing him actual bodily harm in December 2013.

It has been alleged that Mr Chandler had gone to the nightclub with friends and was at the bar when a man appeared to push in front of him.

Mr Chandler pointed out to the man that there was a queue and the man had allegedly shoved Mr Chandler with the palms of both hands.

Mr Chandler pushed the man away and shortly afterwards he felt a blow to his head and realised he was bleeding heavily. As a result of the alleged incident Mr Chandler suffered a 4cm cut his head which needed six stitches.

The trial continues today.