during the fourth day of his Supreme Court trial.

Benjamin, of Lusher Hill, Warwick, took the stand for the first time, after the prosecution finished its case.

He is charged with attempting to murder Michael David Robson, of Middle Road, Southampton, wounding him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon.

All three offences are alleged to have occurred during the early morning hours of July 19, 1993.

In a voluntary Police statement on July 21, 1993, Benjamin said he caught a taxi around 3 a.m. with two friends and stopped off at the Ice Queen intending to buy some cigarettes. Once there, Benjamin said they also ordered food, and it was then that he noticed three white guys staring intently at him.

Benjamin said he mentioned this to his friend Orien Thomas and took out his knife and held it in his hand unopened, because he felt threatened.

After this he said the white guys stopped talking so he turned his back to them.

Crown counsel Mr. Khamisi Tokumbo then asked Benjamin what message he intended to send by pulling out the knife.

Benjamin said he pulled it out to let them know he didn't want trouble. He further denied the Crown's suggestions that producing a knife was inconsistent with this stated intention, because he did not pull out the blade.

"I didn't have it on my mind to use it at that point in time unless it was necessary,'' he said.

Benjamin also testified that as he passed the three white guys sitting on the wall he had a soda and a cheeseburger in his hand.

He said Robson then stood up and said: "I owe you this'' before he hit him in the face with a helmet.

However, the Crown pointed out that Benjamin's Police statements never mentioned that Robson said this prior to the assault and none of the Crown's witnesses that testified earlier said they heard it.

At this point Mr. Tokunbo charged that he invented this story to make his case stronger, but Benjamin disputed this.

Meantime, Benjamin said that once Robson hit him with a helmet, the two other white guys also attacked him with helmets cutting his left eye and forehead.

"I was losing consciousness so I went in my back pocket and brought out my knife in self-defence to scare them off,'' he said.

"They were hitting me at all angles and I thought they were trying to kill me. I kept my head down and swung blindly trying to get them off me, but the blood was blurring my vision.

"The knife went in someone and he fell. I didn't know who it was.'' The defence continues its case today before Puisne Judge Mr. Justice Ground.

Mr. Philip Perinchief appears for the accused.