A CYCLIST has described seeing a blood-covered man, seconds after he was allegedly assaulted in a dispute over a bonfire, as looking like "something from a film".
Pensioner James Sharrod, 73, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court after allegedly hitting his neighbour James Killian over the head with a lump hammer.
Mr Killian's wife told the jury she thought her husband was being killed during the attack.
Cyclist Trystan Jones told the court he saw Mr Killian was covered in blood and looking like "something from a film".
Sharrod admits using a hammer to hit Mr Killian twice but denies unlawfully wounding him, maintaining he was acting in self-defence after his neighbour picked up a pitchfork.
Swansea Crown Court has been told the dispute started after Mr Killian lit a bonfire in his home off South Gower Road, in Parkmill.
Sharrod, says he went from his home in Cannisland Park to confront Mr Killian because smoke was billowing into his house.
He claims he picked up the hammer from inside Mr Killian's garden and then hit him twice.
The prosecution allege Sharrod went into his neighbour's garden armed with the hammer which was hidden behind his back, before pushing Mr Killian to the floor, straddling his chest and repeatedly striking him with the hammer.
He was left covered in blood and requiring seven stitches to a 5cm cut on his head. His wife has told the court he was also left with bruises and marks on his arms, shoulders and back.
On day two of the trial, Angela Killian was asked by defence barrister Stephen Rees if there had been a number of previous complaints about fires being lit in the garden.
She said there had been just one, around two years before this incident on May 24.
She told the jury she had also been working in the garden with her husband, but went inside moments before Sharrod is said to have come into the garden.
She said as she came from the house, she saw Sharrod on top of her husband, and fearing he would be killed went towards him.
"When he lifted his arm, that's when I knew he was still alive," she said.
She also criticised the neighbours she alleged watched the attack.
"They are vicious and they weren't trying to stop that man. It's a horrible thing to witness. Horrible," she said.
Cyclist Trystan Jones said he was passing the house when he saw the incident unfold.
"I looked at the man and he was covered in blood. It looked like something out of a film," he said.
Mr Jones said he turned round and found "hysterical" Mrs Killian.
He said Mr Killian had a large gash, was covered in blood and also had two egg shaped wounds.
"He said he had been attacked by a neighbour. He pointed to the house which was over the fence. He said he had hit me over the head with a hammer," said Mr Jones. The trial continues.
