A traveller told a court he stabbed the man he is accused of murdering after he set his dog on him.

Today Kingston Crown Court heard Frank Smith, 30, of Corbet Close Hackbridge, describe stabbing at Damon Weedon after claiming he was attacked by his pitbull terrier.

The incident happened at Mr Weedon's home in Typhoon Way, Roundshaw, after the men had been drinking heavily after decorating Mr Smith’s partner’s house in Meteor Way.

Giving evidence at Kingston Crown Court today Mr Smith said he had been sitting next to Mr Weedon, who had never met before, talking about their families while mutual friend Thomas Brookman-Miller sat on the one next to them playing Guitar Hero.

The court heard how Mr Smith had drunk around eight to nine cans of Stella Artois throughout the night.

He said "I was kind of drunk. Tipsy sort of thing. I wasn’t off my head."

Mr Smith told the court he got up to use the toilet but when he returned to the sofa Mr Weedon jumped up and started screaming at his dog.

He said: "[Damon] just changed. His eyes went black and his face went red. It was pure evil.

"The dog was getting all aggressive, bouncing up and down growling and all that.

"It looked like he was trying to send the dog my way. I couldn’t hear what Damon was saying – the volume was so loud on the telly.

"He kept shouting at the dog and pointing at me. The dog ran round to me.

"The dog came charging round the table.

"I jumped up to get the dog away from me. I could see a knife on the table.

"I never really looked at the knife. I was trying to stab the dog. I just wanted to get out of the house to get away from that dog.

"I just kind of stabbed at it.

"Out of the corner of my eye I saw Damon throw himself at me kind of thing.

"My natural reaction was to stab at him as a reflex."

Mr Smith told the court how he had stabbed Mr Weedon in the face but he said it had no effect on him.

He told the court that Mr Weedon had got him down onto the sofa and was on top of him.

He said: "I got a glimpse of another handle. On the side of the sofa. It looked like a handle to a knife.

"It was kind of like Damon was trying to grab it but I managed to get it.

"I just kind of stabbed at Damon really."

Mr Weedon was found by police slumped against railings in Redford Avenue, his arm impaled on the fence as he fell down.

He had received a stab wound to his face, and two stab wounds to his back, one of which proved fatal.

Mr Smith, of Corbett Close, denies murder.

Mr Smith will continue to give evidence when the trial continues on Monday.