A MAN accused of stabbing a former bouncer outside a pub has told a jury he came off worse in the incident.

Lee Turner said he needed four plates and 16 pins in two breaks to his jaw and numerous stitches after he was repeatedly punched in the late night violence.

The 26-year-old from The Prinnels, who accepted he was shouting abuse at the door staff at The Crown, in Devizes, after being ejected, denies he had a knife.

Giving evidence to his trial at Swindon Crown Court, he said: “I was just telling them my frustrations and I got whacked.”

Turner, who denies all the charges, said he had been thrown out at about 2am after his affection for his girlfriend, Michelle Baker, was misunderstood.

He said he had led her off the dance floor when he saw she was uncomfortable with other people dancing with her.

After taking her to the bar he said he took hold of her chin to pull her close and kiss her, which was misinterpreted by a drinker, who told him to stop hitting her.

“He said something to me and I swore at him to leave me alone, saying it is nothing like that.”

He said he pulled at a woman in the pub who had pinned Miss Baker to the wall, at which pointhe was thrown out by bouncers.

Outside, he said, he tried to get his girlfriend out as he had the only door keys to their home. When she left the club, Turner said, he pushed her and she stumbled over the kerb.

Tony Walker, who had not been involved, then hit him repeatedly.

He said: “As she lost her footing I turned to the bouncers to say, ‘look, this is your fault’, and that is when I got punched.”

Turner said he had no idea how Mr Walker was hurt, but insisted he had not stabbed him or had a knife.

Turner said he was bleeding profusely and needed five stitches to a cut to his head and more in his jaw. The weapon covered in his blood found behind the utilities box outside a nearby house was not his.

Under cross examination from Maria Lamb, prosecuting, Turner said: “I didn’t have a knife with me.”

He denied manhandling Miss Baker, threatening to kill door staff and that he was looking for a fight when Mr Walker punched him.

“He beat me up,” said Turner, of Spencer Close. He denies wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, unlawful wounding, possessing a bladed article and common assault of a woman in the pub.

He denies all the allegations and the case continues.