A man accused of hitting his uncle in the head with a hoe broke down in tears inSupreme Court, claiming the uncle killed his pet dog.

Christopher Pond said he told Howard Charles he would bring a TV crew to the family homestead in Watlington Lane, Devonshire, to demonstrate his concerns over the way animals were treated.

He told the jury this made Mr. Charles angry and he started chasing him with a plank of wood.

Pond said he then used the hoe in self defence.

The 41-year-old told the jury that on the day of the incident, March 31, 2007, he and neighbours of the homestead were concerned about the welfare of the animals. As a result, Pond voiced his intent to call in the SPCA and a television news crew.

He also said he would report to the authorities that handyman Arthur Trott and Mr. Charles killed his pit bull. Pond broke down in tears as he told the jury: "I came in to find it hanging up in the dog kennel."

Then, he claimed, Mr. Charles, 50, came up and grabbed his throat, telling him: "You f*****g b*****d, I'm going to f*****g kill you for bringing that f*****g (TV journalist) Gary Moreno down here."

Next, he said, Mr. Charles walked to the front of his truck and came back with a "two-by-four", a piece of wood which he used to hit him in the back, shoulder and neck.

Pond said he tried to get his uncle to leave him alone. It has been suggested earlier in the trial that he went on to grab a hoe and used it in self defence to parry the blows from the wood.

Mr. Charles denies using a plank of wood on Pond, and Pond denies wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The case continues.