A MAN charged with a knife attack during a house move has been cleared of all counts of violence but convicted of intimidation.

Jonathan Simmonds of Cherry Tree Way, Witney, stood trial at Oxford Crown Court last week for wounding with intent, unlawful wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intimidation.

Prosecutors claimed that the 54-year old had ‘slashed’ his alleged victim Andrew Betts with a knife before punching the woman Mr Betts was helping to move out of the Witney house.

Jurors, however, unanimously cleared him of any wrongdoing on Monday in relation to the allegations of violence.

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Taking to the witness box to detail his version of events on May 26 last year, Simmonds told jurors that his alleged victim had in fact headbutted him first.

He described Mr Betts as a ‘man mountain’ and claimed that his personal belongings were stolen during the incident. He went on to deny later hitting the woman who was moving out of his home or intimidating her.

Meanwhile, a guilty verdict was given for the final count of intimidation, in which Simmonds sent threatening messages to Dawn McMillan on social media and in person at a police station.

Prosecutor Jonathan Stone said that messages sent to Ms McMilan made her feel ‘threatened and petrified’ and said that while at the police station he starred at her and told her ‘you are going down’.

Simmonds will be sentenced at the same court on February 26.