The nephew of a man who almost died when he was brutally stabbed told a jury he was told what had happened to the weapon.

Stephen Lavender, 38, a former boxer and body builder, was allegedly the victim of a horrific knife attack in a cul-de-sac in East Grinstead in January last year.

Mr Lavender claims he was repeatedly stabbed when he called at Peter Simmons' house in Newton Avenue to tell him to stop bothering a woman neighbour who had complained about his unwelcome advances.

Simmons, 46, denies attempted murder. A Lewes Crown Court jury heard from Mr Lavender's nephew Zac Mattocks, 21, that a couple of days after his uncle was stabbed he met Simmons' step-son, Anthony Horton, in a pub.

Mr Mattocks claimed Mr Horton told him he had taken away the weapon allegedly used in the attack.

He said: "He mentioned he had taken the knife away.

I was not really sure what he meant.

"It was a bit shocking to me."

Mr Mattocks told the jury his family had been devastated by the attack and he had spent days by his uncle's hospital bed while he was recovering.

When asked why he had not mentioned anything about the knife until he came to court to give evidence, Mr Mattocks said he was concerned about getting anyone into trouble.

He said: "I was always worried about upsetting people by bringing it forward."

During cross-examination by Martin Rutherford, defending Simmons, he denied lying about the conversation about the knife.

Mr Rutherford said: "You are lying through your teeth?" Mr Mattocks replied: "No."

The court has heard Mr Lavender suffered five stab wounds, including two in his back, and needed surgery for a punctured lung and lacerated spleen. He also had six inches of damaged bowel removed.

During his evidence to the jury he denied his injuries were caused during a fight with someone else that night.

Simmons, now living at Campbell Close, Uckfield, also denies wounding and intimidating a witness when he allegedly shouted threats to Mr Lavender four months after the alleged stabbing.

The trial continues.