A KNIFEMAN accused of threatening to kill a man before stabbing him reacted after “abuse was shouted at him”, a court heard.

The trial of Allan Lindsay entered its second day at Basildon Crown Court yesterday with the 56-year-old taking to the witness box to give evidence.

Lindsay denies intending to cause the man grievous bodily harm in the stabbing on May 2 last year at the junction of Victoria Avenue and Queensway in Southend.

Lindsay was grilled by prosecuting barrister Karl Volz, where he claimed he started to follow the pedestrian because he had abused him.

Mr Volz said: “I am saying you spoke first and I am suggesting you started off and the first words you uttered were abusive.”

Lindsay replied: “He might have misheard what I said.”

Mr Volz continued: “Why did you assume he was saying things abusive to you?”

Lindsay said: “That’s the way I took it.”

The jury previously heard the victim had been walking when Lindsay had shouted abuse at him, saying he should “go and die”.

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He is then alleged to have approached him before producing a knife and stabbing him, which the court heard narrowly missed the victim’s heart.

Lindsay, of Marine Parade, Southend, claims he was abused by the man, became annoyed and decided to follow him.

Mr Volz said: “That’s a big thing to do to follow someone down the road because you thought they had said something abusive to you.”

Lindsay replied: “I followed him and I stopped, I thought ‘he’s going now’ and left it at that.

“He came towards me and that’s when I pulled the kitchen knife out to warn him off.”

Lindsay told the jury the man had continued to come at him, even though his knife was drawn, claiming he “might be on drugs”.

Mr Volz said: “You’re saying he is coming towards you even though you’re pointing a knife.

“I suggest this was a lie. He didn’t come towards you with a knife, it was you who came towards him.”

Lindsay denied this, and said that when the injury happened he “didn’t mean to slash him”.

The trial is expected to last the remainder of the week.