The girlfriend of a man left "covered in blood" after being repeatedly knifed in the face outside a pub has told a jury how she pleaded with his attackers to stop.

Jack Bardrick suffered "deep, long cuts to his face, neck and ear" outside the Duke of Cumberland in Whitstable High Street.

A woman and three men accused of wounding Mr Bardrick with intent have gone on trial this week at Canterbury Crown Court.

Shannon Cook and Lewis Jones, both 26, of Brook Road, Swalecliffe near Whitstable, Alfie Scott, 33, of Stodmarsh Road, Fordwich, near Canterbury, and Bradley Jones, 25, of Folkestone Road, Dover, deny wounding with intent.

Today, Mr Bardrick's girlfriend Georgina McKinnon told the court she had pleaded with the group: "Please don't hurt him" as the violence unfolded in the pub's doorway.

"I remember [Jack] saying please stop,” she said, before Cook “grabbed me by the back of my hair and pulled me down by the hair, and then she said something to me like ‘see how you like it.’

“I just pleaded and said ‘please don’t hurt him, we are really sorry.’

“[Jack] stood up quite quickly and I just phoned 999 right away - I think I said my boyfriend had been attacked.”

Giving evidence from behind a screen, Miss McKinnon fought back tears after being asked to watch CCTV footage of the attack.

Representing Scott, Abigail Penny said: “I’m going to suggest at a certain point during this attack Lewis Jones had a knife, that’s the man in black.”

“No,” Miss McKinnon replied.

Yesterday, Miss Penny said Scott’s defence hinged on the fact he “didn’t know” Lewis Jones was carrying a blade at the time of the attack.

Mr Bardrick previously told jurors he was suddenly "punched and kicked several times" after "a man ran towards me" shortly after midnight on May 14.

“I just pleaded and said ‘please don’t hurt him, we are really sorry...’"

"I was on my back trying to use my legs to kick the people away," he said.

He said the ordeal lasted about 20 seconds and then his attackers "just ran".

"I heard one shout 'quick, let’s go, the cops are going to be here'," he told the court.

Asked how he felt following the attack, Mr Bardrick continued: "I was feeling very scared, I was covered in blood."

Mr Bardrick “was left with a number of deep, long cuts to his face, neck and ear, and was taken to hospital for treatment,” prosecutor Tim Sleigh-Johnson said.

Mr Bardrick had been playing pool at the New Inn, in Woodlawn Street, with Georgina and friends Ben Smith and Liam Sargeant, the court heard.

After leaving at 11.30pm, the group headed towards the Pearsons Arms in Horsebridge Road when a row erupted with Cook.

Mr Bardrick said Cook became “hostile towards us” and began “shouting and swearing," with his group engaging in the altercation.

Cook pursued the four friends towards Terry’s Lane, where she appeared to punch Mr Smith, Mr Bardrick said.

Mr Smith then pushed Cook backwards “in self-defence” when she stumbled over, got up, and said: “You wait, you are done now,” Mr Bardrick added.

He told jurors Cook made a phone call, saying: “Come to Whitstable High Street, a man has just hit me to the ground.”

Mr Smith and Mr Sargeant went to leave in a taxi parked outside Lloyds Bank when Cook offered the driver £100 to refuse the journey and kicked the door, the court heard.

When the pair eventually left, one witness - who was known to Cook - tried calming her down as Mr Bardrick and Miss McKinnon walked towards Horsebridge Road.

Moments later, Lewis Jones’ black Land Rover Freelander arrived in High Street, CCTV footage played in court showed.

Lewis Jones could be seen exiting the vehicle, running towards Mr Bardrick, then repeatedly attempting to rain blows.

He then appeared to knock Mr Bardrick into the pub doorway before Alfie Scott and Bradley Jones entered the alcove shortly afterwards, footage showed.

During the attack, Cook appeared to restrain Miss McKinnon by her hair just metres away.

CCTV then showed the four suspects fleeing the crime scene in the Freelander as Mr Bardrick got up.

Cook has already pleaded guilty to commonly assaulting Miss McKinnon but denies assaulting Ben Smith by beating, Mr Sleigh-Johnson said.

The prosecutor added Alfie Scott or Lewis Jones caused the wounds, whereas Shannon Cook commissioned the attack and Bradley Jones drove to the scene and “provided strength in numbers”.

The defendants deny any knowledge of a knife being present or participating in wounding Mr Bardrick with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

The trial continues.