The victim of an alleged knifing has told a Canberra court he thought he had been punched until he saw a blade being pulled from his chest.
David Maly's alleged attacker, 28-year-old Christopher Griffin, is on trial in the ACT Supreme Court accused of attempting to commit murder on the night of July 18, 2004.
Yesterday, Mr Maly told the jury that his then-girlfriend had arranged to meet Griffin, her former partner, at the Lanyon Marketplace, so he could pay her for a car stereo she had bought.
But Mr Maly said that when the couple arrived, Griffin, a chef, came at him with a large kitchen knife.
He told the jury he pinned Griffin to the ground, seized the blade from his hand and turned it back on his attacker.
''I held the point of the knife to his left cheek just under his eye and said, 'See, I can do this to you too,''' Mr Maly told the court.
''He said, 'Go on then,' and I said, 'Scum like you aren't worth it.'''
Mr Maly said he kicked Griffin in the head to stop him from getting up then turned to walk away, but Griffin called out to him.
''I've spun around and Chris [Griffin] was there,'' he said.
''As I've turned, he's punched me in the chest. I've looked at Chris, looked at his hand. It was palm up against my chest. As he's pulled his hand up, I've seen the blade come out of my chest.
''I just felt a punch. [Griffin] laughed and said, 'I've stabbed you, c---, what are you going to do?'''
Mr Maly, who said he still had Griffin's large knife in his hand, told the court he walked away but Griffin followed.
''He went to take a step towards me and I've lifted the knife probably about waist height and he's taken another step and I've raised the knife above my head and threw it at him. He's ducked to miss the knife coming at him.''
Mr Maly told the jury he got in his Jaguar and reversed a short distance before Griffin punctured the left rear tyre. The alleged victim said he drove a short distance then asked his then-girlfriend, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, to call an ambulance. Mr Maly told the court he still suffered from shortness of breath and pain in his knee, which was also injured on the night.
Under cross-examination by Griffin's lawyer, Mr Maly conceded he was angry when he spoke to Griffin on the phone earlier that evening. But he denied being suspicious of his then-girlfriend's relationship with the young chef.
''I was under the impression their relationship had ended a fair while before me and her had begun a relationship,'' he said.
He told the court Griffin was irate on the phone.
''He was full of abuse and he was angry and making threats,'' he said.
''I do believe he said to me to turn up [at his workplace] so he could slice my throat.''
Mr Maly said he did not initiate any calls to Griffin but said his then-girlfriend could have made calls on his mobile phone.
The trial, in front of Justice Hilary Penfold, continues today.
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