A MAN on trial over a knife attack on a teenager was accused of lying in court to protect his violent brother.

Leighton Cooper, 19, was stabbed in the arm while visiting his cousin Sam Longhurst at his flat in Shoebury High Street on August 6.

John Dawson, 30, and Lee Scowen, 35, both of Leigh Road, Leigh, deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent. John Dawson’s brother Robert, 32, of Friars Street, Shoebury, admits the charge and is not on trial.

John Dawson gave evidence at Southend Crown Court, where he described the trio going to Mr Longhurst’s flat to buy cocaine.

He said the group did not manage to purchase the drug and decided to go to another address, but a row broke out between him and his brother.

He said: “There was a bit of rolling about on the grass. I had a black eye, it was the right eye I believe. I had a cut across the bridge of my nose. I thought he had broken my ribs because I had trouble breathing.”

He said Robert Dawson later became angry about “threats” made to him by Sam Longhurst.

John Dawson said he armed himself with a baseball bat, while his brother had a metal bar. Dawson said he did not see Scowen with a weapon. The men then went to the flat.

He said: “I thought it was going to be a verbal disagreement. We thought that they would be submissive and would stop making threats to my brother.”

When the men arrived at the flat, John Dawson said his brother forced his way in and attacked Mr Cooper with the metal pole. He told the court he saw him hit Mr Cooper once and he did not get involved in the assault.

John Dawson said neither brother had a knife and Mr Cooper did not receive the wound, which resulted in a torn tendon in his arm, inside the flat. He said Scowen waited outside in the hallway, where Mr Cooper escaped to, but he did not see him get involved and did not see anyone with a knife before, during or after the incident.

Paul Raudnitz, defending Scowen, accused John Dawson of lying about how his injuries were caused and claimed they had actually been caused at the flat.

He said: “You have said that it came to blows in order to explain the injuries that you were found with.”

John Dawson replied: “No, it’s because it’s the truth.”

Mr Raudnitz said John Dawson was lying about who was wearing a blood-stained blue hoodie later found in a car. Forensics experts told the court that blood spatter on the back indicated it was worn by whoever wielded the metal pole, but John Dawson said Scowen, and not his brother, was wearing it.

He said: “You have put Lee Scowen in the blue hoodie to make things worse for him and better for your brother. At the end of the day, blood is thicker than anything.”

John Dawson replied: “No, not at all.” The trial continues.