A man accused of attacking his girlfriend's son with a Samurai sword claims he was told: "You're a dead man walking."

Darren Selby, 43, is alleged to have almost severed the hand of roofer Karl Lashley with the weapon during a violent confrontation in Charles Street, Herne Bay.

The drama unfolded outside a block of flats, where Selby lived with Mr Lashley's mother, Laura.

Selby says Mr Lashley, 28, threatened him and was banging a mallet on his chest, leaving the musclebound defendant fearing he was going to be hit over the head.

"I felt I was in a trapped position and if I turned my back he could have killed me," he told a jury at Canterbury Crown Court.

Selby, who denies causing grievous bodily harm, claimed he grabbed the sword and used it to try to knock the mallet out of Mr Lashley's hand.

The jury was told how Mr Lashley's hand was severed and left hanging by a thread.

"I realised Karl was injured but he just became more mad and it made him more violent," Selby said.

“He was shouting so loud I thought he was going to wake the whole of the street up."

After hiding the weapon in a cellar, Selby then fled to London and was arrested two weeks later in Ashford, where he was found hiding in a cupboard.

He said he ran away because he panicked because of his previous convictions.

Selby had earlier told how he came to Herne Bay for a holiday and met Laura Lashley as he was buying an ice cream for two nephews."

"As he swung it towards me I went back into the house and grabbed my granddad's samurai sword, which was hanging on the wall..." - defendant Darren Selby

Three months later they moved into a flat together in Herne Bay.

"We had our ups and downs like any other couple because of natural jealousy but I never raised my hand to her, not once," Selby said.

He rejected claims that there had been previous abusive incidents and claimed Mr Lashley had lied about them.

"There was one incident when I went into the living room and found Karl having sex with his girlfriend when I didn't know they were in the flat," he said. "I told Laura and she ordered him out."

Selby said he and Mr Lashley "never really got on, we never saw eye to eye."

After serving a short prison sentence for possessing a knife in public, he said he returned to live with Ms Lashley in Charles Street.

Selby told the jury he had previous convictions for wounding, robbery, affray and several assaults.

On the day of the incident in June he was about to have a bath and go to bed when he heard three "really really loud bangs" on the front door.

"I walked towards the door behind Laura," he said. "She opened the door. I could see Karl standing with what I thought was a pick axe. Now I believe it was a mallet. It was being held as if it was going to be used.

"Karl looked very intoxicated. He'd started screaming and shouting at his mum.

"There was a bit of a fight which broke out as Karl tried to pull his mum away so he could get to me.

"He was grabbing her by her hair. She fell to the floor and he started punching and kicking us both as I tried to pick her back up.

"He starts to swing the mallet.

"As he swung it towards me I went back into the house and grabbed my granddad's samurai sword, which was hanging on the wall.

“I had been jabbed in the head by the wooden bit of the mallet which dazed me a bit.

"I had to grab the sword as I was fearful of my and Laura's safety.

“I started walking towards him trying to say 'I'll use it I will use it', and trying to fence my way forward.”

The trial continues.