A MAN was so enraged that his shed was to be torn down as part of tower block renovation work that he pulled a knife out on a contractor and held the blade to his throat a court heard.

Michael Kearney, of Foresters Tower, Wood Farm Road, Oxford, denies one count of threatening another with a bladed article and one count of possessing the blade.

As his trial began at Oxford Crown Court yesterday prosecutor Edward Culver said that the 47-year old had been informed in a letter that works at the Oxford tower block would lead to the demolition of his shed.

This so enraged Kearney, Mr Culver said, that on the afternoon of October 5 last year he confronted a worker from contractor Willmott Dixon at Knights Road, Blackbird Leys, near to the Windrush tower, which was also undergoing works.

He told the jury of nine men and three women that Kearney spotted Nigel Greenridge walking with a colleague at about 4pm when he approached, showing a letter he had received regarding the sheds and 'angrily' demanding answers.

Kearney, the court heard, then grabbed Mr Greenridge by the tie with one hand before brandishing a Stanley knife and holding it to Mr Greenridge's throat before he fled the scene and police were called.

Mr Culver told jurors: "The prosecution case is that Mr Kearney was angered about being asked to clear out his shed.

"He angrily confronted two people who have no reason to be mistaken about what happened and no reason to lie about what happened."

Mr Greenridge also took to the witness box yesterday and said: "He was very agitated, he was very angry and he tried to grab my tie, in his hand there was a Stanley knife.

"It came passed my chin, I must have had my head back, it was a couple of inches away."

Kearney denies having a knife during the incident and the trial continues.