A masked attacker accused of attempting to murder a Witney man with an axe claimed he was only trying to frighten him, a court heard.

William Howard, 37, of Bourton-on-the-Water, denies attempting to murder Martin Harding during the attack on January 8, 1999. He admits a lesser charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday that Howard went to Mr Harding's home in Abbey Road, Witney, at about 5am wearing a balaclava. He knocked on the bedroom door where Mr Harding was asleep with his girlfriend Rachel Ford, and their five-week old daughter.

Mr Harding was then attacked with CS spray and an axe, and his girlfriend was punched.

The struggle came to an end when Mr Harding managed to push the attacker down the stairs.

Howard was arrested in Spain more than three years after the attack, which left his victim with a fractured skull, severe bruising and a cut to his shoulder.

The court heard the men had known each other for 16 years. Mr Harding accused Howard of glassing him in the Red Lion pub in June 1996, but he was later acquitted following a court case.

Howard told the court he had intended to scare Mr Harding because he had been attacked and threatened himself, and he believed Mr Harding had offered to pay someone to kill him.

He said: "I was doing it to scare him to stop him attacking me."

Howard said he flew to Spain after the attack because he was in fear of his life and afraid of reper- cussions.

The jury has retired to consider its verdict.