A LAWYER with a black belt in Ju-Jitsu has told a jury that he had acted in self-defence during a hotel incident which left a Blackburn man needing hospital treatment.

Christopher Dunn accepts hitting out at David Baird-Dean, who needed reconstructive surgery for fractures to his face, but said he was protecting himself.

Mr Baird-Dean, 48, was allegedly subjected to a ferocious assault after earlier ticking off the defendant about a "flashing" scene at a wedding party. The function at the Harefield Hall hotel in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire followed a couple's renewal of their wedding vows.

Dunn, 40, of Victoria Road, Morley, Leeds, denies a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent and an alternative accusation of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The extent of the Blackburn man's injuries were normally associated with road crash victims, or someone being hit with a baseball bat, the Preston Crown Court jury have been told.

The Crown claim the defendant had earlier exposed himself, in front of guests, when asked about a tattoo. Dunn denies ever behaving in such a manner in July last year.

In his evidence he has claimed that Mr Baird-Dean had been furious with him. He said he himself wasn't in an aggressive state of mind.

Dunn accepted that he had "stupidly" said to the other guest "You wouldn't really have kicked my head in". He thought he had used those words out of vanity, wanting to be liked.

He alleged that the remark caused Mr Baird-Dean's mood to change in a heartbeat.

Dunn alleged that Mr Baird-Dean went on to push him with both hands, causing him to fall down some steps and his face end up in some bushes. He went on to strike Mr Dunn "in fear", but the other man was not on the ground.

"I knew he was going to set about me. He started throwing punches at me," the defendant told the court. "I put my hands up and ducked down. I was bobbing out of the way, but the punches were catching me."

He accepted having thrown a flurry of punches out of fear - two of which he said connected.

"He was relentless. He was angry and I was terrified he would knock me out with a lucky punch and go to town.

"He was very strong for a smaller bloke. He had no trouble in manhandling me."

The defendant said he had hit Mr Baird-Dean a very hard punch, as hard as he could, with his right hand. He expected that to knock him spark out and although it did stun him, he went straight at him again, he said.

Dunn said the last blow caused Mr Baird-Dean to drop to his knees.

Following the incident he gave him his T shirt and got him some ice. His face was an "absolute mess", as though he had had an allergic reaction to something.

The defendant's barrister, Mr Paul Greaney, asked him: "You are a black belt second dan in Ju Jitsu. Why were you not able to use those skills to diffuse the situation, without causing him injury or by causing him lesser injury?"

Dunn said: "I just didn't have time to think about it. It all exploded like that".

He later added in his evidence: "It was just like a bad nightmare".

The case continues.