Soldier was sliced with a machete by sergeant

AN Army colour sergeant attacked a fellow soldier with a machete – slicing his arm to the bone – because his ‘pride was slighted’ in a pub argument, a court has heard.

John Norwood, of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, is accused of striking Lance Sergeant James Warnock with ‘slashing blows’ after searching for him for several hours at their barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, before finding him in his bedroom.

David Richards, prosecuting, told Portsmouth Crown Court that Norwood, 38, from Glasgow, finally found his victim in his room at Mons Barracks around 5am.

There had been a confrontation at The George in Aldershot, with Norwood slapping Lance Sergeant Warnock around the face and being punched in return.

‘When he was punched and knocked to the ground by the

‘A lot of blood coming from me’

younger man, that was too much for him,’ Mr Richards told the court. ‘So he went looking for him, determined to have it out with him.

‘When Mr Warnock opened the door Mr Norwood swung down and made several blows. The worst was to his shoulder, which was cut right down to the bone.

‘When he swung that blade, he intended what is only natural when you swing a weapon like that – he intended to cause him really serious harm, GBH.’ Lance Sergeant Warnock told the court that in the pub Norwood had told him: ‘There’s something about your face I don’t like.’

Asked why he had hit Norwood, he replied: ‘I felt threatened. I was looking out for myself.’

Of the machete attack, he said: ‘He carried on striking me. There was a lot of blood coming from me and there was a large wound on his arm.

‘I was trying to tell him to stop and eventually he did.’

The trial continues.