A CARLISLE man has told a court his brother stabbed him three times in the neck and said ‘I hope you die’ after an argument turned sour.

The city’s crown court heard from Callum Kidd, who accused his older brother Lee Robert Kidd, 41, of attacking him on October 23.

Prosecutor John Claus told the court there had been some family problems that month and the two brothers soon began to argue. After arguing for less than five minutes, Callum Kidd told the court, some of the family started to walk to the shop to buy alcohol and some sweets for the children.

“Lee was walking in front, not with us,” his brother told the court. “I could tell he was in a mood. I asked him, ‘why are you taking off?’ and he lost it.”

Callum claimed his brother swore at him before storming off. At this point, Lee and the family returned home, while Callum carried on to the shop then returned. “I asked him what was that all about, he said, ‘get out my house’.

"That is where it all kicked off,” Callum told the court.

At this point the younger brother confronted his sibling about his apparent daily cannabis use, lazy attitude and called Lee a “bully”.

“He squared up to me and was in my face shouting and I was getting wound up so I squared up to him.”

Callum said he was then attacked.

“Before I knew it, I was drenched in blood,” he said.

After being stabbed three times in the neck, he said his brother demanded he leave.

After he was stabbed the first time, Callum said his brother’s wife Lisa burst into the kitchen. “She was screaming at Lee to put the knife down.”

According to Callum, his older brother told him, ‘I hope you die’.”

Brendan Burke, for the defence, claimed Callum was overheard saying he’d taken cocaine prior to the attack. No, he responded.

Mr Burke questioned why the victim did not heed his brother’s words and go home.

Callum told the court he was trying to calm his brother.

The defence said Callum punched his brother twice prior to the stabbing, knocking him onto the kitchen counter. Callum denied any violence towards his brother.

When asked about the stab wounds – which required surgery – Callum described it as a deliberate attack.

Conflicting accounts from the defence and prosecution were given about what happened after the stabbing.

Mr Burke claimed Callum continued to attack his client after being stabbed.

“If he had a knife I wouldn’t attack him, that’s stupid,” Callum replied.

The second witness, the defendant’s wife Lisa Kidd, said after they had argued that her husband went upstairs to get away and was followed.

She described her husband’s brother as very agitated when he arrived at their house.

She said Callum had returned from the shop to find the door was locked and started banging to be let in.

Callum denied the door was locked, saying he walked straight in.

Lisa told the court her husband pushed his brother and told him to leave, but could not recall what happened next.

Mr Claus asked the witness to reflect on an earlier police statement in which she said during the incident Callum was holding his beer.

“Did Callum pick it up?”, he asked.

“After he was attacked, yes,” she replied.

“This is not what you said in October,” continued the prosecution.

The witness told the court she wasn’t thinking properly at the time.

Lee Robert Kidd, of Cornish Street in Carlisle, denies a charge of unlawfully and maliciously wounding his brother.

The trial continues.