A Bristol man accused of murder had previously stabbed another man in the face for touching his girlfriend's breasts, a court heard.

Aaron Bennington told Bristol Crown Court that Bradley Payne visited his flat and "gouged" his face and stomach in June last year.

It is claimed that just weeks after attacking Mr Bennington, Payne rowed with 43-year-old John Derrick in Gatehouse Avenue, Bishopsworth, fatally stabbing Mr Derrick through his left eye, an incident which Mr Bennington said he had also witnessed.

Payne, aged 32, of Witch Hazel Road, Hartcliffe, denies murder in July last year.

He also denies making a threat to kill and unlawfully wounding Mr Bennington a month previously.

Mr Bennington, 31, told the court he and his girlfriend Kelly Clarke knew Payne and his girlfriend Samantha, who was also called Payne but was no relation.

He said he, his girlfriend and a man known as 'Cricket' were drinking with Samantha Payne and chatting about the breast enhancement operation she had had.

It was at Samantha's invitation, he said, that he touched one of her breasts with his finger.

About a week later, said Mr Bennington, he heard banging at his flat door and looked out of his bathroom window to find Payne shouting up at him.

Mr Bennington told the court: "He had a big kitchen knife, I think it had a white handle with a 10-inch blade.

"I told him to go away and I shut the window and went back to bed.

"I was pretty scared at the time and I was pretty sure if I let him in he would have done some damage to me."

Mr Bennington told the jury two or three days later Payne came back and because he seemed less agitated, he let him in.

As he came in, Mr Bennington said, he let some kind of "shiny implement" drop out of his sleeve.

Mr Bennington told the court: "He said 'so what the f*** went on?' As he said that, he gouged out my face and he got me in the stomach and across my forehead."

Mr Bennington said Payne then backed off, telling him 'if you come 100 yards between me and my missus again, you'll be having it'.

Mr Bennington said he had decided to patch himself up rather than get hospital attention.

He recalled a later incident when he heard shouts outside his home and saw John Derrick standing in the road, with Bradley Payne backing off from him.

He recalled: "Bradley Payne was using a knife to point at him.He said 'you'd better get to the hospital before you die'."

Mr Bennington said it was then Mr Derrick fell to the floor covered in blood and people attempted to help.

Mr Bennington added that he later saw Payne's girlfriend Samantha and she walked off to near where Payne was stood on a piece of grass and it looked like she said something to him and waved her finger at him before he turned round and walked off.

The case continues at Bristol Crown Court.