A BUILDING worker has told a jury he was duped into taking part in an attack at a Teignmouth wine bar in which the end of the victim’s nose was bitten off.

Wayne Rees told Exeter Crown Court that co-defendant Andrew Pile had asked him to ‘watch his back’ when he went into the No 9 Bar and Bistro to collect a £1,000 debt.

He said Pile told him the money was for a car deal which had gone wrong but he later discovered it was a drug debt owed by victim Richard Sachaidac’s son.

Pile is on trial accused of slashing Mr Sachaidac across the hand with a knife and biting off a part of his nose, which could not be sewn back despite being found and wrapped in frozen peas by bar staff.

Rees, who had admitted taking part in the attack, told the jury he was giving evidence against Pile because he was angry he had got him into trouble.

He said he had not expected any violence inside the bistro but had gone to Pile’s aid when he saw him grappling with Mr Sachaidac. He pulled a hammer from his pocket and hit the victim on the head.

Pile, aged 32, of Mill Lane, Teignmouth, denies wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The prosecution say he made a series of threats to Mr Sachaidac before going to the bistro with Rees at 3.30pm on Saturday, December 3 last year.

Mr Sachaidac had just returned from taking his 10-year-old daughter to meet Father Christmas on a Santa Experience train ride and was knocked into the bistro’s tree when he was attacked.

The jury have been told that Rees hit him between two and four times on the head with a hammer and Pile lunged at him with a knife, which he grabbed, causing a cut to his hand.

Mr Sachaidac has told the court his nose was bitten as he grappled with Pile but he did not realise how serious the injury was until he saw the tip being picked up off the floor.

Rees, aged 32, from Exeter, said he was at work on a site at Pinhoe on the Saturday morning when Pile rang him up to offer him a free pair of trainers.

He met him after finishing around noon and they both drove to Teignmouth, where Pile treated him to lunch at the bistro and told him he was collecting £1,000 for a car sale which had fallen through.

They left and were on their way back to Exeter but Pile turned around after learning Mr Sachaidac, who he did not know but who Pile described as Richard, was at the bistro.

He said: ‘Pile said he was going to collect money for the car and asked if I minded watching his back. I said I would come with him. He walked straight up and asked him to go outside.

‘The man said no and Pile lunged at him. I thought he had head-butted him but I later found out he had bitten his nose. Pile was the attacker.

‘Richard defended himself and started raining punches on Pile. He also picked up a bottle and was hitting him with it. I’m ashamed to say I took a hammer from my work trousers and hit Richard with it.

‘I hit him twice. It was poor decision making. I lunged forward to get him off Pile. Richard was raging and Pile was covering up.’

Rees said he was wearing a hi-viz top with the name of his employer on it and he heard someone shout it and say they were going to call the police. He pulled Pile away and they ran out.

He said: ‘We ran to his van. I asked him what the hell had happened. He replied “boys will be boys”. He was erratic and excited.’

He said he only learned the £1,000 debt was owed by Mr Sachaidac’s son for drugs after both he and Pile had been arrested and insisted he had not intended to get involved in any violence at any time.

The trial continues.