A party goer wearing a Christmas jumper has denied glassing a stranger who tried to step in to stop a late-night confrontation in a nightclub.

Craig Lamble was seen on CCTV hitting customer Simon Ablett on the side of the face with the glass in Bar 7 in Newton Abbot at 1.40 am two days before Christmas in 2017.

Mr Ablett suffered a deep cut to his temple and a nick to his ear and needed stitches in hospital after the incident in the early hours.

Lamble told police he had not intended to cause any injury but had put his hand up in self-defence because he thought he was being attacked by a group of strangers.

Lamble, aged 31, of Dandelion Close, Highweek, Newton Abbot, denied unlawful wounding.

Mr Peter Coombe, prosecuting, said there is no dispute that Lamble caused the injury and the issue in the case is whether he was acting in self-defence.

He said Mr Ablett did not know Lamble and stepped in to act as peacemaker when he saw him in a confrontation with another man.

Mr Coombe said:”He put his arms out to separate the men and the next thing he could recall was liquid running down the left side of his face. He realised he was bleeding.

“A member of door staff saw a man wearing a Christmas jumper in an argument and then a third man talking to him. That was Mr Ablett.

“He heard Mr Ablett shouting to the defendant to calm down and leave it alone and saw Lamble hit him on the side of the head with a glass which shattered on impact.”

Lamble told police who were called to the pub in Market Street he had been attacked and acted instinctively.

He told the jury he thought he was about to be beaten up by a group of six to eight men, including Mr Ablett, who confronted him in a corridor leading from the smoking area to the dance floor.

He said:"I was acting in self defence. They said they would break my legs and break my glasses and smash my face in. There were to six to eight of them in the altercation.

"I thought it was a bit handbaggy and playgroundy at first but Mr Ablett was part of a group who were intimidating me and threatening to give me a hiding.

"I had no intention to hit him with the glass. I reacted instinctively and did not realise I had the glass when I swung my hand."The trial continues.