A man accused of a sword attack cried as he insisted the alleged victim is falsely blaming him in a bid to gain cash.

Fredjuan Hughes, 30, told Supreme Court he was home with his girlfriend and kids on the night convicted bank robber Michael Dillas got chopped up.

He claimed Mr. Dillas, 42, knows he's not the man responsible, but has asked him for $20,000 in exchange for clearing his name.

Breaking down in tears he told the jury: "He wanted me to give him money so I could get off. He told me I was going to go to jail and I wasn't going to be able to be with my son and he was going to f**k my girl and stuff."

In evidence for the prosecution, Mr. Dillas has claimed that Hughes launched an unprovoked attack with a sword in Railway Terrace, Pembroke, on February 8, 2008. He alleged that his attacker chased him up St. Monica's Road with the weapon, but he outran him and managed to flag down a passing truck.

Mr. Dillas was admitted to hospital with severe injuries to his forearms and hands late on the night in question. His medical notes state that he had taken heroin prior to his admission.

Finishing his evidence yesterday morning, he claimed that both Hughes and his girlfriend have asked him to drop the charges in exchange for money.

"He asked me did I want his car and all that there," he said of an alleged exchange with Hughes during a preliminary inquiry into the case.

Mr. Dillas told the jury he'd never had any problem before with Hughes, who he knew by his first name and also by a nickname.

"People in the area used to call him 'cripple' cos his leg's messed up," he explained.

Taking the stand to give evidence in his own defence yesterday afternoon, Hughes told the court he cannot read or write. He had to repeat the words of the oath after the court clerk.

The defendant also explained that he lives in "Pond Hill" but cannot remember his address, and that he does not know the name of the "short, bald guy" accusing him.

In answer to questions from his lawyer, Saul Froomkin QC, Hughes admitted that he has previous convictions, but none for nine years.

He said he lives with his girlfriend and children, aged three and eight, and was home from 7 p.m. on the night in question, watching movies and looking after the kids.

Asked by Mr. Froomkin why he thought Mr. Dillas would falsely accuse him, the boat cleaner replied: "People know I get paid good money for doing what I do."

He explained that after Mr. Dillas kept coming to him for money, he bought a small tape recorder and his girlfriend recorded further similar conversations. Mr. Froomkin had earlier played three tape recordings to Mr. Dillas, claiming these were the conversations in question.

The lawyer claimed that Mr. Dillas could be heard on the tapes saying, "You don't have to pay that all at once", and offering to "go up to court and say what I've got to say."

Mr. Dillas insisted it was not his voice on the recordings.

During his evidence, however, Hughes said Mr. Dillas could be heard saying: "It's up to you, I'll go right up there one time and f*****g tell the people who done it. You don't have to worry about none of that s**t, you know what I mean."

Under cross-examination from Crown Counsel Takiyah Burgess, Hughes agreed that his previous convictions include cannabis possession, stealing food from a shop, assault causing grievous bodily harm, assaulting a Police officer and violently resisting arrest.

"You can act in a crazy violent fashion, can't you?" asked Ms Burgess. "No ma'am," he replied.

The defendant, who is in custody, denies wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The case continues.