denied charges yesterday of wounding another man.

Ellsworth (Ellie) Wilson, 57, testified in his own defence, telling Magistrate Edward King he did not assault Richard Benjamin with a knife.

Wilson, of Mount Hill, Pembroke, is charged with unlawful wounding and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place on October 10, 1999 at the poker house on 18 Court Street.

Mr. Benjamin was making sandwiches for the poker players, one of whom was Wilson, when the accused confronted him and asked for his sandwich.

Wilson told Magistrates' Court: "I was at the gambling joint playing some poker and I asked (Mr. Benjamin) for a sandwich.

"He went to the kitchen while I was playing cards and approximately 20 minutes later he came and gave a couple of people sandwiches.

"So I asked him where was mine. He said he would get it later, so I went to the kitchen to make sure I got the sandwich.

"And that's when he started to say I didn't ask for any sandwich. That's when we got in this discussion. At the time he had a knife in his hand.'' Wilson demonstrated how the complainant held the knife, by holding both hands in front of him and swaying them back and forth.

"He had it up, like to attack, across his chest and I started to say `Look man' in reference to the sandwich.

"And he (Mr. Benjamin) was backing back in a defensive reaction, moving his hands and after that I went back to play cards and he did not come out of the room. He must have went out the side door.

"When he was swinging (in the kitchen), it looked like he got cut with the knife at that time. He got cut, I left the room to play cards.'' Wilson said the entire incident happened in less than five minutes. The trial continues on Thursday.