accused of stabbing a neighbour's relative are expected to consider their verdict today.

Kamel Trott, of Kitty's Drive, is charged with the unlawful wounding of Kenneth Edwards, causing grievous bodily harm after an attempt to teach him some manners turned bloody last year.

He denies both charges.

Mr. Edwards, 51, suffered a three-centimetre long, 1 1/2-centimetre deep gash in his right forearm and another wound on his right hip, after a brawl with Trott on September 7.

Senior Crown Counsel Peter Eccles said the incident happened when Mr. and Mrs.

Edwards were leaving her uncle's home on Kitty's Drive at 6.30 p.m.

The two were reversing down the driveway when Trott, her uncle's neighbour, drove up on his bike and cursed at them, saying: "Get out of the f**king road. You need somebody to teach you how to f**king drive''.

Mr. Edwards told the court that his wife, Astoria, got out of the van to speak with the defendant's mother about her son's behaviour.

"I waited three to five minutes and she didn't come back,'' he said.

"So I drove up in the van and got out to see what was going on.'' At the house Mr. Edwards told Trott that "he was a very rude and disrespectful young man'', who needed somebody to teach him a lesson.

"I told him about being rude to his elders,'' Mr. Edwards said in court.

"And he said "Why don't you teach me some respect. If my mother wasn't here, I would kill you''.'' Mr. Edwards punched Trott in the mouth and then proceeded to defend himself from retaliation. He contended in court that his actions had been provoked.

He said he was cut twice in the brawl and saw a blade in Trott's hand.

"I tried to get the knife out of his hand, and then it fell to the ground,'' he said.

And he claimed to have heard Trott shout to his girlfriend: "Get the knife, get the knife''.

The brawl ended minutes later when Mrs. Trott's Uncle, Travis Boyles, intervened.

"When I got up, I realised that there was no life in my arm,'' Mr. Edwards said.

He then accused Trott of stabbing him, but Trott responded: "It wasn't a stab. You probably got it from falling on my bike or my ring''.

Defence lawyer Phil Perinchief claimed that debris on the ground or Trott's nail file, attached to his key ring, could have inflicted Mr. Edward's injuries.

Expert witness Dr. James Brockenbrough confirmed that the injuries, which he had only read about in a report, could have been caused by a nail file, although the assailant would have had to generate some force.

But Vanessa Tavares testified that she had seen a knife on the ground where the incident took place and later saw a similar knife covered in blood in the kitchen sink.

In his closing argument, Mr. Perinchief said: "It is our case that Kamel acted in self-defence.'' "He was responding to Mr. Edward's punch.

"No one excuses his rude behaviour. But his behaviour is not why he is on trial,'' he said.

He asked jurors to consider what they would have done in the same position.

"Do not reward Mr. Edward's behaviour by finding my client guilty,'' he said.

But Mr. Eccles contended that what everyone saw and heard leads to one conclusion.

And he said: "In self-defence, the response must be reasonable. You cannot intend to seriously wound someone in self-defence.

"If Mr. Trott picked a fight, he cannot stab someone in self-defence. Mr.

Edwards should have known better, but that does not excuse Mr. Trott's behaviour.'' Assistant Judge Phillip Storr will conclude his summing up today, before the jury retire to consider their verdict.