A court was told an evening out at an open air swimming pool ended with the stabbing of a Hassocks teenager.

Tarin Heaton-Heather, 19, was allegedly stabbed through the back and one lung by 24-year-old Timothy Small, from Newhaven, during a fight in Lewes after youngsters broke into the lido after dark.

The incident occurred after Mr Heaton-Heather, of Woodsland Road, Hassocks, drove to the Pells pool in Lewes for a late-night dip.

The pool is a popular late-night hangout for youngsters in the town, who climb in over the low walls. But when the group from Hassocks arrived at around midnight on July 16 last year, violence erupted.

There were taunts because one of the group was wearing a sarong and a fight broke out.

Small is alleged to have plunged the blade of a butterfly knife into Mr Heaton-Heather's back as they tussled by the poolside.

Anthony Bowles, 18, told the court that he had been drinking with Small on the day of the attack.

He told a jury at Lewes Crown Court that he and Small, who is charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, had been drinking pints at the Rainbow pub in Lewes since 4pm to celebrate his coming birthday.

He said that he and Small had drunk "eight or nine" pints of strong Continental lager before leaving the pub at 10pm.

They then went on to a friend's flat in St John's Street, Lewes. After spending an hour there, they moved on to the swimming pool.

"We jumped over the wall like everyone else does," Mr Bowles told the court. "There were a lot of people there that night.

"We had a beer, had a laugh and had a smoke. We go there a lot during the summer.

"Three lads came over the wall and started walking towards us.

"One of then had a skirt on. We asked him why and he said "there's so many old ladies around here I thought I would wear one to blend in.

"Then there was verbal between the group and the three boys. They tried to push two of them into the pool and a fight broke out.

"I was too drunk to join in. There was a group of about 30 people picking on three boys. It didn't really need anyone else."

He said that the "stranger in the skirt" began fighting with Small and said: "They were spinning round and they fell next to where I was sitting. I could see the boy punching Tim but Tim told him he was going into the swimming pool.

"He got thrown into the swimming pool and I saw a rip in the boy's top on the left hand side."

He said after they had fled the scene, another one of the group approached Tim and accused him of stabbing the other boy. Small, of Hanson Road, Newhaven, later

produced a blood stained butterfly knife, said Mr Bowles.

"He held it up to the light and I saw it had got blood on it. But he said "No. It is mud where I stabbed it into the ground earlier."

The case continues.

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