PARTYGOERS threatened to kill the man accused of murdering hairdresser Rachel Long after he bottled a girl's dad singing karaoke.

Mathew Smith, 29, of Hermon Close, Abingdon, was said to have hit Michael Lipscombe on the head with an empty wine bottle after the two collided at The Volunteer pub, Grove, on January 10.

Mr Lipscombe's daughter Anouska was celebrating her 21st birthday with her friend Donna Rolphe when the trouble started.

Oxford Crown Court has heard that the clash sparked a mass brawl 15 minutes later, following which Rachel, 21, and her boyfriend Mark Parker, 20, were found stabbed.

Smith admitted picking up a knife used to cut the cake to protect himself after the wine bottle incident, but denies stabbing Miss Long and her boyfriend.

Yesterday, (TUES) witnesses told the jury that several people threatened to kill Smith after surrounding him in the bar of the Station Road venue.

Smith's sister Naomi Gray said: "The atmosphere was horrible and it seemed like a lot of people were trying to get to Mathew. "I heard one man say 'I am going to kill you."

She added that several young women at the party were inciting the men to attack Smith.

"I heard a young lady's voice shout out 'Go on, get him. What are you men or mice?'. I felt very frightened and I thought he (Smith) might be killed."

Naomi's boyfriend Robert Townsend told how he saw ten to 15 people move towards Mathew before the defendant was savagely attacked.

He spoke to Smith shortly afterwards, he told the jury, adding: "He was very upset. He was crying and seemed very frightened. There was blood on his shirt and on his face."

Mr Townsend said he also heard people threatening to kill Smith. He said: "There was more than one and the voices were both male and female.

"I took these threats very seriously. I thought they would try and go as far as to kill Mathew."

Smith denies murdering Rachel, attempting to murder Mr Parker, wounding him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and unlawfully wounding him.

Barristers have now started to sum up their evidence in the case.

The trial continues.

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