Lowestoft man Scott Tarrant had fallen out with the former friend accused of murdering him and had attacked him with a glass and a knife, it has been claimed.

Eastern Daily Press: Scott Tarrant. Photo courtesy of Suffolk Constabulary.Scott Tarrant. Photo courtesy of Suffolk Constabulary. (Image: Archant)

On one occasion Mr Tarrant allegedly threw a glass at Steven Butcher in a nightclub causing a deep cut to his face and he and another man had also attacked him with knives causing a cut in his arm, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Giving evidence on the fourth day of Butcher's trial, Mr Tarrant's former partner Rebecca Supple said she had slept with Butcher after splitting up with Mr Tarrant in 2017, resulting in him feeling animosity towards Butcher which increased after finding the pair lying on a sofa under a blanket together.

When cross-examined by Andrew Thompson, defending, Miss Supple said Butcher claimed he had been attacked by Mr Tarrant on two occasions.

Butcher, 24, of Ashfield Crescent, Lowestoft, denies murdering Mr Tarrant on July 7.

Miss Supple told the court she had been at her home in Underwood Close, Lowestoft, with Butcher on the evening of July 7 when Mr Tarrant turned up and banged on the door.

She was angry because he hadn't turned up earlier and didn't answer the door.

Shortly afterwards she and Butcher heard his motorbike being pushed over and she claimed he said: 'If he's done anything to my ******* bike I'm going to kill him.'

She claimed Butcher had then taken a kitchen knife in a sheath from a drawer in her kitchen and went to the front door.

She took the knife off him and threw it to one side while Butcher went outside and picked up his bike.

He came back inside and picked up his motorbike helmet and left saying he was going to look for Mr Tarrant.

Shortly afterwards Miss Supple heard a commotion outside and saw the pair standing in the road as if they were about to have a fight.

She said she didn't know Butcher had picked up the knife when he returned to the house to get his helmet, saying: 'Otherwise I would have tried to intervene.'

Shortly afterwards everything went quiet and when she looked out of a window she could see Mr Tarrant lying in a pool of blood outside.

There was no sign of Butcher and when she went outside she said she found Mr Tarrant struggling to breathe.

She rang 999 and then noticed the sheath that had been on her kitchen knife on the ground nearby.

At the time of Mr Tarrant's death in July last year, Miss Supple was living on her own with her two children, but the pair were rebuilding their relationship and he regularly saw the children, the court heard.

She had known Butcher for three years, saying: 'He was always a good friend to me.'

On July 7 last year she and Mr Tarrant had arranged for him to go to her house after he'd watched an England World Cup game at a pub.

However, he hadn't arrived and she texted him telling him not to bother and invited Butcher round to spend the night with her because she was upset.

Mr Tarrant texted her later in the evening but Miss Supple told him she hated him and didn't want to see him.

The case continues.