George H. Mouchette, 38, of Rushy Lane, and Dennis L.E. Decosta, 21, of Cricket Lane, both pleaded guilty to being involved in a fight.

Mouchette admitted possessing a knife while Decosta pleaded guilty to possessing a baseball bat.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Kenrick James said Decosta was sitting on a wall, across from Arnold's Supermarket in Somerset, on October 13 when Mouchette drove up.

The two men started arguing, and a fight ensued.

Sgt. James said Decosta threw a bottle at Mouchette who in return produced a knife and slashed Decosta on the arm.

Decosta ran off and was found by Police holding a baseball bat over his head yelling obsenities.

Decosta suffered a one-inch cut to his forearm from the incident, Sgt. James said.

But Mouchette told Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis the stabbing was an accident.

He said he had known Decosta for a long time.

"He provoked me into arguing with him by... using offensive words,'' Mouchette claimed.

Mouchette explained that he had the knife because he used it to start his car which had broken down.

But Decosta claimed that Mouchette was calling him names and swearing at him.

"He said he was going to stab me and then he got out of his car with the knife and came at me,'' Decosta said. "I never touched him.'' Decosta said he kicked the knife out of Mouchette's hand and Mouchette picked it up and went for his head.

"If I didn't duck he would have stabbed me in the head,'' he added.

Mr. Francis decided to fine both men equally.

Mouchette was fined $250 for fighting and $250 for possessing a knife. Decosta was fined the same amount for fighting and $250 for possessing a baseball bat.