A MAN was left with an eight-inch cut to his face and neck after an alleged glass attack outside a pub, a jury heard.

Daniel James Hunt, aged 38, and of West Bay Crescent, Weymouth, is accused of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding in connection with an alleged attack on Tom Lane which left the victim needing hospital treatment.

Hunt denies the charges against him, which followed an incident outside The Three Compasses in Charminster, near Dorchester.

Hunt’s trial opened at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday where Simon Edwards, prosecuting, said the defendant had been “verbally and physically aggressive” towards Mr Lane at the pub during the evening of Saturday, December 10, 2016.

At around 9.30pm, Mr Lane walked down the steps outside the pub for a cigarette when he became aware of a person approaching him.

Mr Edwards said: “He then suffered a blow to the left side of his face and immediately began to bleed. The injury, predominantly an eight-inch laceration to the side of his face, had to be treated in hospital.”

The jury heard that Hunt had been at a private party with neighbours inside the skittle alley in the pub, separated from the main bar area.

Giving evidence, Mr Lane said that he had been at what he called his ‘local’ pub with friends at the same time as Hunt but was not aware of the private event.

He said: “I just wanted to see what was going on with the skittles when he [Hunt] said ‘what are you doing here?’. He came across as rude.

“We had brief banter in the bar area, but I didn’t think much of it. It was totally unprovoked, I did not deserve to be glassed.”

The court heard that friend Lewis Whitehouse, who was with Mr Lane on the night, had gone to look outside after seeing Mr Lane leave the pub shortly after Hunt.

Mr Whitehouse said that Hunt had been “smiling and staring” at them all night which he said made them feel “nervous” and that something might happen.

On looking outside, he said he saw Mr Lane holding his face with blood, a cigarette and smashed glass on the floor whilst Hunt ‘jumped up and down’ shouting “do you want some too?,” before running away into the corner of the car park.

Hunt returned and was arrested by police.

The trial continues.