A man accused of attacking a fellow Carlisle city centre reveller has admitted kicking the man as he lay prone – but denies stamping on his head.

Rodney Lowden was out drinking with a friend to celebrate his birthday when night-time violence flared on Botchergate.

As the pair left a pub on October 10 last year, a jury has heard his friend was punched to the ground. Mr Lowden was also struck and next remembered waking up in hospital.

It is is alleged that while on the ground, Mr Lowden was “stamped” on by 25-year-old Jordan Mark Dixon.

Dixon is on trial at the city’s crown court. He denies an allegation of wounding Mr Lowden with intent as part of a joint enterprise and also an alternative charge of unlawful wounding.

Dixon, of Siddick Road, Siddick, Workington, gave his side of the story in court.

He said he and around a dozen others travelled to Carlisle from west Cumbria that day.

He had drunk six pints of lager by the time trouble started brewing in the Cumberland Inn.

This involved a friend of his and also, he said, Mr Lowden. An argument developed and Dixon told the court: “It escalated and spilled out into the street in a matter of seconds.”

Dixon was not embroiled in the incident at that stage but went outside to check on his friend. The trouble spread across Botchergate, where Mr Lowden was knocked to the ground by a member of the west Cumbria group.

“By the time I got over I saw him on the floor,” said Dixon.

He was asked whether he then did anything to Mr Lowden. “Yeah, I did, yeah,” Dixon replied. “I kicked him to the upper body. My right foot.”

Asked how hard, he added: “To put force into knocking him back down because he was trying to get back up. He was swearing and using fighting words.”

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Dixon walked away but was detained by police. His footwear was seized and jurors heard Mr Lowden’s blood was found on the sole of his right shoe.

An off-duty police officer has told the trial he saw a grounded male being stamped on.

Cross-examining Dixon, prosecutor Gerard Rogerson suggested: “You stamped on him when he was prone and out cold, didn’t you?”

“No. Not a chance,” Dixon replied. “I definitely kicked. I didn’t stamp.”

The trial continues.