RETIRED hotelier Kenneth Jenkins, 62, stabbed an old friend who had repeatedly taunted him about having sex with his wife 30 years earlier, a jury was told.

Burly Mr Jenkins, who walks with a stick, followed Anthony Friendship into the toilets at their local pub in Woodcroft and knifed him in the back, Gloucester Crown Court heard yesterday.

As Mr Friendship turned to face him, Jenkins stabbed him again, in the stomach, the court heard.

Jenkins' attack followed Mr Friendship pinching his wife Rose's bottom in the bar of the Rising Sun pub, a few minutes earlier, the prosecution said.

As Jenkins, of Inner Loop, Beachley, attacked Mr Friendship he called him a 'bastard' and told him 'I should have done this years ago', the court heard.

Jenkins denies wounding Mr Friendship with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm on March 11 last year but admits a less serious charge of unlawful and malicious wounding.

Prosecutor Lisa Hennessy said the only issue for the jury was whether Mr Jenkins had an intent to cause serious harm when he stabbed Mr Friendship.

She said the two men had known each other many years and were good friends. They were both at a reopening night at the pub when the incident happened out of the blue, she said.

During the evening Mr Friendship tried to attract Mrs Jenkins' attention by pinching her on the bottom when she had her back to him, Mrs Hennessy told the court.

He was surprised when Mrs Jenkins turned round and told him to 'p*ss off.'

A few moments later Mr Friendship went to the gents when he was hit on the back, said Mrs Hennessy. Mr Friendship turned to see it was Jenkins – who then hit him in the lower left side of the stomach, she said.

Jenkins then went on to punch Mr Friendship in the face several times before a mutual friend entered the toilets and separated them.

The friend, Keith Fletcher, realised Jenkins was holding a lock knife and seized it from him, said Mrs Hennessy.

Jenkins then left the pub and Mr Friendship realised to his horror that he was bleeding from wounds to the stomach and back and that he had been stabbed and not just punched by Jenkins.

He was rushed to hospital and was detained for two nights for treatment to his spleen which had been damaged by the knife.

Mrs Hennessy said when Jenkins was arrested he refused to make any comment.

In evidence, Mr Friendship said he had known Jenkins since working as a welding apprentice to him in Chepstow many years ago.

He denied that he had been spreading rumours that he'd had sex with Rose Jenkins 30 years ago. And he denied making his friend's life a misery.

The trial continues.