A man who felled a Workington Town player in the street has told a jury he lashed out in fear that he would be attacked.

Callum Phillips, who has represented Scotland at rugby league, was knocked unconscious by a single blow during the early hours of March 20 in the centre of Workington.

Carlisle Crown Court has heard Mr Phillips remembered being outside a town takeaway. His next memory was waking up in hospital, receiving stitches to facial injuries.

Conor Paul Irving, 22, is on trial and denies assaulting Mr Phillips, causing him actual bodily harm.

Irving, of Brierydale, Salterbeck, Workington, gave evidence in his defence.

He told jurors he spoke with Mr Phillips outside the takeaway. He tried to resolve a previous dispute which had also involved Mr Phillips’ brother, Brett, who also plays for Workington Town.

“I held my hand out to shake his hand,” said Irving. “He didn’t do anything. He just looked at me. He was saying [to another man] ‘this is the one who was fighting with Brett’.”

Irving told Mr Phillips his brother was responsible for that earlier incident. “He started moving about, puffing his chest out. I could tell by his voice he was getting wound up. He sounded angry,” Irving told the court.

He said Mr Phillips then remarked to a bystander: “What should we do now he is by himself? He is not with his friends.”

Irving’s reply was: “You are going to do nothing.” He continued: “That is when I stepped back away from him. The way he was acting I felt as if he was going to hit me.”

When Mr Phillips stepped forward and remarked “howay”, Irving believed that was a “fighting term”, and told jurors: “I just punched him. I tried to get as far away as quickly as possible.”

Asked why he did so, Irving added: “I was just scared. I lashed out. I thought he was going to hit me.”

The trial continues.