Stabbing victim hit over the head with a hammer
A MAN stabbed in a pub car park brawl told jurors he ‘went into defence mode’ after he had been hit over the head with a lump hammer.
Sammy Philpott, 37, has claimed self-defence after stabbing Stanlie Hopkins and his brother-in-law Daniel Forster during a fight in the Red Lion pub car park in Cosham on October 25, jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court heard.
Mr Hopkins, 28, who plays for Moneyfields FC as a defender, was involved in a ruck with Philpott.
It came after the pair were involved in a ‘tense’ exchange earlier in the day at a wake.
Mr Hopkins, giving evidence, said he was involved in a scrap with Philpott after the defendant arrived in a car in the pub car park.
He told the court: ‘He walked towards me fast. I stood there.
‘I got hit over the head with a hammer,’ he told jurors.
Mr Hopkins said he was struck in the face by the weapon. ‘I went into defence mode and we had a tussle after that,’ he told jurors.
‘He was trying to hit me over the head and I was trying to kick him to get the hammer out of his hand.’
Mr Forster then entered the scene from the pub and kicked the car door twice where Philpott and Mr Hopkins were fighting.
‘That’s when he said to Dan: “You’re getting it now.”
Dan then said “he stabbed me”.
Mr Hopkins said that at first he thought he had been punched before realising he had been stabbed when ‘blood started to come out and there were big holes in my shirt’.
Philpott denies having a lump hammer.
Hugh French, defending, said Mr Hopkins ‘walks up to the car’ before the 6ft 7in centre back ‘towered over him’.
The incident was shown on CCTV to the court.
The barrister said Philpott, who was then confronted by Mr Forster, who is a personal trainer, after ‘retreating’ to his car, was ‘acting in self-defence’.
‘It was entirely clear he was going to win,’ Mr French said.
He said Philpott ‘denies intending to cause really serious harm’ but ‘did no more than was necessary to ward off ’ the men.
Philpott denies two counts of wounding with intent, two counts of unlawful wounding and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon.
(Proceeding)