Jilted Fareham man was acting in self-defence when he stabbed love rival, court is told

Jilted Ashley Luff, 32, is alleged to have ambushed Nathan Birch before thrusting a knife into his victim’s neck, back, arm, chest before slashing him across the right cheek in the ‘deliberate and carefully planned’ attack in August last year.

The incident happened after Mr Birch was dating mother-of-one Chantelle Price, jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court were told. But with Mr Birch under cross-examination from Sarah Jones QC, it was suggested the 24-year-old TGI Friday chef had instigated the attack in Luff on Southampton Road, Park Gate, after arming himself with a baseball bat and a corkscrew.

Ms Jones said: ‘You stopped your bike and took your rucksack off and got your bat out. As Mr Luff sees the bat he moves away from you.

‘You continue to pursue him and strike him to the back of the head with the baseball bat. At that point Mr Luff turns around with a knife in his hand but you still keep on coming.

‘The two of you are fighting. The reason there are so many stab wounds in the middle of your back is because you were on top of Mr Luff and he was reaching out to get you off him.’

Mr Birch denied that version of events before Ms Jones poured scorn on his account he had never even kissed Ms Price before August 4 after reading out text messages between the pair prior to that date.

One of Mr Birch’s texts said: ‘I’m tired because you kept me up last night.’

Ms Jones said: ‘Why did you mislead the jury by telling them something quite wrong?’

Mr Birch replied: ‘I’m not sure.’

Yesterday the trial heard that Luff had become enraged after spotting Mr Birch and Ms Price kissing while he watched a Facebook Live stream being shot in the Slug and Lettuce pub in Fareham on August 4 last year. The prosecution’s case is that he then plotted the attack on Mr Birch, which took place on August 19.

Ms Jones also claimed Mr Birch was getting angry after Luff had sent him a text stating he would not give up on Ms Price.

A text from Mr Birch read: ‘I’m going to lose my rag.’

Ms Jones said: ‘You were not confident in the early stages of your relationship with Ms Price. You realised the speed at which she ended things with Mr Luff could have consequences for you.’

She added: ‘You tried to pick a fight with Mr Luff and then when saw him on August 19 you carried out that attack and hit him with a baseball bat.’

Luff, of Bedford Drive, Fareham, denies attempted murder and an alternative of wounding with intent.