An IT worker, accused of trying to murder a pubgoer, was having Voodoo hallucinations at the time of the attack, a jury has been told.

Joel Jueanville, 32, from Strood, plunged a knife into his unsuspecting victim in May last year outside a Dartford pub.

The jury at Maidstone Crown Court has heard evidence from a number of psychiatrists as the defence is claiming he was legally insane at the time of the attack.

His barrister Oliver Saxby QC told the jury this morning: "The defendant is not giving evidence."

He added that Jueanville's parents "who are both professionals" will be giving evidence about their son's background.

Jueanville will not be giving evidence.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Tim Rogers – who appeared via a TV link – told the court that he spoke with the defendant for up to five hours.

He produced five different reports involving more than 40 pages.

Jueanville told Dr Rogers he was having hallucinations about Voodooism and witchcraft, and heard voices telling him his life would be in danger if he did not stab his victim.

Dr Rogers told the jury Jueanville believed "in that moment" he was acting to save himself and therefore the defence of insanity applied as he did not know what he was doing was legally wrong.

"There is no alternative or rational motive for Joel Jueanville to assault the victim in quite the way he did," he explained.

"For me it remains credible that he deludedly believed he was acting in a reasonable and necessary way in order to defend himself.

"He believed that if he didn't act that way, someone else would do the same to him. It was a life-saving act. The reality is not correct but we are talking about what he believed in that moment, " he added.

"There is no alternative or rational motive for Joel Jueanville to assault the victim in quite the way he did..."

Stephen Hooper had been drinking when Jueanville suddenly attacked him from behind, the court heard.

Jueanville, 32, of Frindsbury Road, Strood, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.

The incident happened on a sunny day in May last year, after the 59-year-old victim, from Dartford, had walked to the Flying Boat pub in Dartford.

He ordered a pint of lager and went back outside to find somewhere to sit and drink his pint and smoke a cigarette.

Prosecutor Charles Evans added: "An eye witness, Tracey Cook, describes Jueanville walking out of the pub in what she said was a jolly manner.

"He then stood behind Mr Hooper and stared at a woman, Kira Woodcock, and her dog for what she says was around a minute.

"He said nothing and no one said anything to him. Then, suddenly, and for no reason that she could see, the defendant punched Mr Hooper about four times to his back, " he alleged.

Ms Woodcock described him walking off “really casually and slowly without a care in the world”.

Mr Evans added: "Ms Woodcock did not see any weapon, but we know that rather than being punched, Mr Hooper was actually stabbed four times with a lock knife."

Mr Hooper saw his attacker walking away and realised he did not know the defendant, nor had he ever seen him before, said the prosecutor.

The victim was taken to a London hospital and treated for the stab wounds and has since recovered.

Mr Evans added: "The Crown’s case is that the blows were aimed in such a way and to such a part of the body, containing as it does the vital organs and blood vessels, that the natural conclusion is that the defendant wanted him to die.

"He tried to kill Mr Hooper, which is another way of saying attempted to murder him," he claimed.

Mr Hooper said in a statement: "I felt four very hard punches to my back. I felt instant pain They were seriously hard blows. I reached round to my back with both hands and felt blood."

Jueanville was arrested after returning to pub nine days later, carrying a lock knife which contained Mr Hooper's DNA on its tip.

The trial continues.

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