Murder accused Shane O'Brien felt threatened by 'smirking' victim

Josh Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene of the attack at the RE bar in Hillingdon

A pub-goer who killed a 21-year-old man by slashing his neck has told a court he felt threatened by his "smirking" victim who was "ready to attack" him.

Shane O'Brien, 31, fatally stabbed Josh Hanson after a brief conversation in RE Bar in Hillingdon, west London, in October 2015, jurors were told.

Mr O'Brien told the Old Bailey he wanted to "pretend to attack" Mr Hanson to "scare him".

At his trial, Mr O'Brien denies murdering Mr Hanson.

Giving evidence on Monday, Mr O'Brien said Mr Hanson "started being very aggressive, by his facial expressions" because he and his friends were not "happy with us sitting" at a table nearby.

Mr O'Brien told the court: "He was the instigator of the whole thing. He was raring to go. Personally I felt like he was ready to attack me."

Shane O'Brien told the court he thought Mr Hanson was about to attack him

Mr O'Brien told the court he approached Mr Hanson and "said something along the lines of 'what's your problem? Leave me alone'", he said, adding: "He was smirking, in a sarcastic action."

The defendant told jurors he only wanted to scare Mr Hanson, telling them: "From the bottom of my heart I did not mean to touch him with that blade."

Mr O'Brien said he left the bar without realising he had even wounded Mr Hanson, telling the court he did not find out until about an hour and a half later.

CCTV images played in court showed the moment Mr Hanson was attacked, with blood flowing from a 37cm (14.5in) wound from his left ear to right chest.

The Met Police said there were about 40 people in the bar when Josh Hanson was stabbed

Mr O'Brien fled to a caravan park in Camber Sands, East Sussex, but was recognised by pub staff at the nearby Camber Castle following a Facebook police appeal, jurors were told.

Before he could be apprehended, Mr O'Brien was flown in a private plane from Biggin Hill airport to the Netherlands, the court heard.

Jurors were told despite an international manhunt, Mr O'Brien evaded authorities for years.

He was arrested in Romania on 23 March and extradited to the UK.

The trial continues.