A Supreme Court heard yesterday of how a Pembroke man accused of stabbing a woman had been repeatedly attacked by a mob that night, before escaping.

Justis Raham Smith, 25, of Sunset Mews, has denied unlawfully wounding Shanae Outerbridge, with intent to do her grievous bodily harm, during a fight in Dockyard last year.

Smith has also denied allegations of punching Hanifah Taalibdin and possessing a penknife in a public place.

Ms Taalibdin told how Smith had punched her twice in the mouth after sneaking into a taxi she shared with her friends after they left the Showtime nightclub in the early hours of February 2, 2002.

Ms Taalabdin said her friend Tiffany began arguing with Smith after she got hold of his hat and he snatched it back.

Ms Taalabdin said: "He was loud and aggressive." Smith ignored pleas to calm down and then punched Ms. Taalibdin twice, she told the six man, six woman jury.

Ms Taalibdin admitted to Smith's lawyer, Elizabeth Christopher, that she had punched him about ten times in the taxi.

The witness said: "I was mad, I was trying to get at him.

"When the driver came, Justis Smith was still in the trunk kneeling and swinging."

Then she saw Smith fighting outside with Shanae and went to stop it but ended up fighting Smith again before he went over to an empty blue car.

Ms Taalibdin admitted she was the aggressor when she fought Smith again outside the taxi and had punched him five times after seeing him hit another girl, Taniq Smith. Smith did not hit her back although he was being attacked by several people.

The onslaught knocked the stuffing from Smith's jacket said Taalabdin.

Smith tried to reverse the car before Taniq Smith applied the handbrake and Ms Taalibdin and two others attacked him.

It was then she became aware of the stabbing. "Shanae was crying," said Ms Taalibdin. "I think I noticed she was bleeding from her stomach. There was a lot of blood."

Smith escaped as the pillion passenger on a bike after fending off a reign of blows suggested Ms Christopher.

Taxi driver Sinclair Samuels told the court he had waited for his six-berth cab to fill up before setting off for Hamilton, only to stop as the taxi grew into uproar as they shouted for Smith, who had snuck aboard, to get out.

The taxi driver was forced to pull over on Pender Road, near the entrance to the old Casemates prison. Mr. Samuels asked Smith to leave but Smith refused and swore at him.

When Smith continued to stay put the driver tried to pull him out but was restrained by two large men with American accents.

The driver said he wanted to escape but traffic boxed him in as he tried to keep out of what he described as "rugby scrimmage," involving about 40 people including the girls from the taxi.

He then got back in the cab and drove to the fire station after being told one of the girls had been stabbed.

The bleeding girl was met by the paramedic at the fire station said Mr. Samuels.