A father suffered 14 stab wounds at the hands of his "estranged" son after they met for a reunion, a court heard.

Peter Simpson was sitting in the driver’s seat of his car in Warden when he was suddenly attacked from behind, it was alleged.

Bleeding heavily, he managed to get to a nearby restaurant where he worked and was taken to hospital with wounds to his chest, head, face and a hand.

Drunk Lee Simpson, meanwhile, drove off in his father’s Ford Focus and crashed into other cars before ending up in a ditch.

The 25-year-old electrician denies attempted murder, an alternative charge of wounding with intent, having a bladed article and aggravated car-taking.

Maidstone Crown Court was told Simpson had been estranged from his father for many years following the break-up of his parents’ marriage.

Mr Simpson parted from his wife Mandy when their son was aged three or four.

He initially saw his son, but his mother then “put a stop to it”, said prosecutor Martin Yale.

More than 20 years later he saw his son by chance in a pub in Dagenham, Essex, and they spoke briefly.

Mr Simpson’s wife Belinda afterwards contacted Simpson on Facebook and it was arranged that he would visit them at their home in Bay View Gardens in Leysdown.

Mrs Simpson collected him from Sittingbourne railway station on January 23.

“Despite him planning to stay for a few days he had no bags with him,” Mr Yale told the jury of six men and six women.

“He told Belinda Simpson he would be alright in what he was wearing.”

After they arrived at the house, he and his father chatted.

Simpson spoke of financial difficulties related to drugs.

That evening they went to the Castle Inn pub in Eastchurch High Street.

They left shortly before 10.30pm and Mr Simpson dropped his wife at home.

He then drove his son to Warden Bay Convenience Store next to Real Spice restaurant where he worked.

Mr Simpson went into the store, leaving his son in the back seat of the car. He bought cans of beer and cigarettes before returning to the car.

Mr Yale said shortly after driving off Mr Simpson felt a blow to the back of the head. He stopped the car and was struck again.

"At that time he didn't realise he was being stabbed and thought the blows were punches until he felt blood running down his head" - prosecutor Martin Yale

“At that time he didn’t realise he was being stabbed and thought the blows were punches until he felt blood running down his head,” said Mr Yale.

“He decided to try to get out of the car. He put his left hand to the back of his head to protect himself and sustained wounds to the back of his hand.

“He went to get out of the car but the defendant grabbed his left arm. He managed to pull away and head towards Real Spice.”

He left a trail of blood as he was taken in by his boss. He was taken to King’s College Hospital in London and treated for his injuries, including a punctured lung, other wounds and a fractured rib.

He discharged himself against medical advice the next morning. He had follow-up appointments at Medway Hospital.

Simpson, meanwhile, had driven off erratically in the car. He reversed at speed in Imperial Drive and crashed into three other cars.

He drove off again and plunged into a ditch in Shellness Road, Leysdown.

He climbed out spattered with blood, borrowed a phone from a van driver and called his mother.

The witness heard him say he had stabbed his father.

After his arrest Simpson told police: “I haven’t seen my dad for 20 years. Why did he have to do this to me?”

Simpson, of Crow Lane, Romford, claims his father attacked him first with the knife and he reacted in self defence.

Mr Yale said Mr Simpson’s DNA profile was not on the handle of the knife, but his son’s was.

The trial continues.