feared for his life.

Fredjun Hughes, 16, of Rockland Road, Warwick, has denied wounding with intent and wounding June Hayward, of Smith's Parish, on September 11, 1995.

A third charge of attempted murder was dropped by the Crown.

Last week, the seven-man, five-woman jury heard Ms Hayward describe how she met Hughes on September 11 near Devil's Hole after repeated attempts to get money from him to repair her bike which he had borrowed and damaged.

Ms Hayward said she was at a dock, near the junction of Knapton Hill and Harrington Sound Road, looking for Hughes when he produced a knife and stabbed her.

But yesterday Hughes told the court that when he saw Ms Hayward near Flatts Liquors she threatened him with a knife.

"She was talking about how she would kill me,'' Hughes recalled.

He said he went to Devil's Hole and while sitting on a wall Ms Hayward approached him again.

"She said she would slice my throat,'' Hughes claimed. "She said if I don't have her money in 15 minutes she would kill me.'' He said Ms Hayward pulled a knife out of a paper bag and left shortly afterwards.

Hughes added that he left the area as soon as Ms Hayward did because he was afraid she would "try something''.

After sitting behind Harrington Sound Workman's Club, he said he went back down to the dock on Harrington Sound Road.

Hughes claimed that he did not see Ms Hayward sitting on her bike at the dock until he was in the middle of the road.

"I sat on a bucket for a couple of seconds,'' he recalled. "Then she recognised me and she started going crazy.'' He explained that he picked up a knife that was part of some fishing gear near the bucket he was sitting on.

"She was coming at me with a knife,'' Hughes said. "It had a black handle.

She was waving the knife, taking big swings, going up to my face. I started moving back.

"I started to really panic. Then I just stooped down and then I just stabbed her. I didn't mean to do it like that. I thought she was going to kill me.'' Hughes said after he stabbed Ms Hayward she continued to move toward him, swinging the knife, so he picked up a milk carton and threw it at her in an attempt to stop her.