Stanlie Hopkins says he was being hit over head with hammer by Sammy Philpott before he was stabbed in Red Lion pub car park brawl in Cosham

Sammy Philpott, 37, has claimed self-defence after stabbing Stanlie Hopkins and his brother-in-law Daniel Forster during a fight in the Red Lion pub car park in Cosham on October 25, jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

Mr Hopkins, 28, who plays for Moneyfields FC as a defender, was involved in a ruck with Philpott after the pair were involved in a ‘tense’ exchange earlier in the day at a wake.

Mr Hopkins, giving evidence, said he was involved in a scrap with Philpott after the defendant arrived in a car with another man in the pub car park.

‘He walked towards me fast. I stood there. I got hit over the head with a hammer,’ he told jurors.

Mr Hopkins said he was struck in the face by the weapon. ‘I went into defence mode and we had a tussle after that,’ he told jurors.

‘He was trying to hit me over the head and I was trying to kick him to get the hammer out of his hand.’

The fight spilled out into the car park before Philpott is seen on CCTV, played to the court, ‘retreating’ to his car as Mr Hopkins and other people walk towards him.

Mr Forster then entered the scene from the pub and kicked the car door twice where Philpott and Mr Hopkins were fighting.

Mr Hopkins said: ‘That’s when (Philpott) said to Dan: “You’re getting it now.”

‘Dan then said: “He stabbed me.”’

Mr Hopkins said he thought he had been punched at first before realising he had been stabbed when ‘blood started to come out and there were big holes in my shirt’.

Philpott denies having a lump hammer and Hugh French, defending, said Mr Hopkins ‘walks up to the car’ before the 6ft 7in centre-back ‘towered over him’.

CCTV showed Philpott arrive in the car before Mr Hopkins walked over.

The barrister said Philpott was also confronted by personal trainer Mr Forster and had ‘acted in self-defence’.

‘It was entirely clear who was going to win,’ Mr French said.

He said Philpott ‘denies intending to cause really serious harm’ but ‘did no more than was necessary to ward off’ the men.

Philpott denies two counts of wounding with intent, two counts of unlawful wounding and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon.

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(Proceeding)