A restaurant owner has denied threatening to cut off his head chef’s hands while bearing two axes.

Henry Daniel Ward, 44, is accused of acting aggressively in the company of two employees at the Lakeside Inn near Aspatria.

Ward has pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray and is on trial at Carlisle Crown Court.

Ward gave evidence in response to claims made about his conduct by chefs Scott Baxter and Peter Lees.

Both men have told the court they believed Ward was “intoxicated” on the night in question.

It is alleged that he became “aggressive” before leaving the bar area briefly returning with an axe in each hand.

Mr Lees had earlier alleged in his evidence that Ward threatened to cut Mr Baxter’s hands off.

But in his defence, Ward insisted that never happened.

He bought the men drinks at the Lakeside, he told the court, then engaged in amicable dialogue.

The discussion, Ward said, surrounded a host of topics. These included cattle, his own great interest in family ancestry and his passion for Vikings.

Asked to describe his mood, Ward, who had earlier been at a birthday party, replied: “Merry, jovial, happy, in good spirits. I wasn’t intoxicated.”

He told the jury one of his hobbies was axe-throwing and that he had a great interest in collecting the historic implements. 

Referring to his conversation with the chefs, Ward explained: “The whole tone was leading up to me getting my axes to show Mr Baxter.”

Ward went to get two of them from his Land Rover.

“I came back. I just gave them a Viking roar,” he told the court.

It was meant to be a fun gesture, Ward said.

“He (Mr Baxter) said ‘stop threatening me’. I said ‘I said I am not threatening’. That was it to be honest.

“I just thought ‘why are you reacting like that?’,” he said.

“It was all just sudden. I was full of good crack. I couldn’t believe the way Scott was reacting.”

His defence barrister, Kim Whittlestone, asked Ward, of Home Farm, Brayton, near Aspatria: “Did you commit an affray on that evening?”

“No,” he replied.

Miss Whittlestone added: “Did you threaten Mr Baxter, and did you intend him to fear for his safety?”

Ward said: “No. Not at all.”

The trial continues.

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