A taxi driver has claimed that he was chopped in the neck by a man disgruntled over a business deal.

Neville Andre Greene told a Supreme Court jury that prior to the incident on April 29, Stephen Gladstone Thompson had asked him about driving a taxi he managed.

As a result, Thompson ended up operating the cab, which was owned by Mr. Greene's father's cousin Willis Smith.

Mr. Greene, 42, from Devonshire, said although Thompson, 27, from Pembroke failed to make payments in relation to the taxi driving, he still allowed him to drive it.

In turn, he paid Mr. Smith out of his own pocket so he would not be left short.

Eventually, said Mr. Greene, Thompson gave up driving the taxi but still owed money.

A month later, he said, he relinquished his own management of the taxi.

He told Mr. Smith that Thompson still owed money, and that he and his daughter would have to give it to him, then collect it from Thompson.

Mr. Greene told the jury the matter ended up with the owners taking Thompson to court. Meanwhile, he said, friends and associates of Thompson's approached him on a number of occasions "about what can they do about getting the court case squashed".

He said his response was that it was nothing to do with him, and out of his hands.

On the day in question he said Thompson, accompanied by a man he knows as 'Black' and also 'Shane', approached him around 8.30 a.m. as he was washing the cab outside his mother's house in Union Street, Pembroke.

Mr. Greene claimed that the pair brought up the topic of getting the case thrown out again, and he told them not to bother him about it.

However, he said Thompson became aggressive, told him "you got me in f*****g court", and then delivered a number of insults including accusing him of being a "prick" who deals with the Police.

After this, said Mr. Greene, Thompson said: "F**k this guy, I'm going to f**k him up", and pulled a knife out of the waistband of his pants before advancing toward him "still ranting and raving, his arms waving, with the knife".

Mr. Greene said he was up against his taxi with nowhere to go.

"I just wanted him to go away but that wasn't happening. He's still waving his knife around and in the back of my taxi I have a baseball bat.

"I have clients that I play baseball with and I also keep it as a deterrent.

"I was frightened for my life. He was coming for me and I had nothing to protect myself," he explained.

Mr. Greene told the court he did not use the bat to threaten Thompson but banged it on the ground and told 'Black' to take him away. However, he said Thompson launched at him with the knife, causing him to duck.

"When I ducked away from him I lost my front left foot. It slipped from underneath me.

"It's kind of gravelly. My foot slipped forwards and I actually fell into his arms," he explained.

He claimed that at this point, Thompson raised his right hand and sliced his neck before making off across the street.

Mr. Greene needed stitches after being taken to the hospital by a neighbour.

Thompson denies wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and the case continues.