A MAN told a court how he was stabbed by his own brother with a kitchen knife following a heated row about one of them being woken from a nap on the couch.

Greenock Sheriff Court was told how accused Connor Lang, 21, became embroiled in a fracas with his older sibling Shaun, who had returned to the family home at 10am after an all-night drinking session.

The pair’s other brother, Kieran, a serving soldier with the British Army, tried to intervene and defuse the row as things spiralled towards violence within the property in Gilmour Street in Greenock.

Despite admitting that he had grabbed two blades within the kitchen and presented them at his brother Shaun, Connor Lang walked free from court after a jury unanimously decided he had acted only in self defence.

Defence solicitor Charles Drummond, of Keenan Solicitors, appeared on the 21-year-old’s behalf during the two-day trial.

He explained how his client had been within the family home with brother Kieran when their third sibling arrived home after a night out.

Giving evidence to the court, the accused said he had been asleep on the couch when he was woken by the noise of his brother coming in.

He said: “He had been drinking and taking cocaine and was both aggressive and noisy. I asked him to keep it down as I was trying to get a sleep. but Shaun got angry and just came at me.”

The accused said his brother set upon him in the living room and began raining punches and blows on  his head and body, at which point he fled to the kitchen in a bid to escape.

He claimed to be seeking refuge after suffering a panic attack as a result of the assault, which had caused his breathing to become short and restricted. The court heard that the clash escalated as Shaun followed Connor into the kitchen, with the younger brother picking up a small potato knife in an effort to deter his older sibling from continuing the assault.

Mr Drummond asked the accused why he had taken possession of the weapon, to which he replied: “I was trying to stop Shaun from attacking me again. I was hoping he would see it and calm down.”

The jury heard how Kieran then intervened, taking the blade from Connor, who then picked up a larger carving knife and presented this at Shaun.

He explained: “I didn’t stab him with it. He lunged forward at me at this point and injured himself.”

The court heard how Shaun Lang suffered a three-inch long wound to his left forearm, leaving him permanently scarred.

The complainer told the jury that his brother deliberately stabbed him with the knife, but his claims were thrown out by the 12-strong jury.

Lang, of Gilmour Street, was charged with assaulting Shaun Lang by striking him on the body with a knife to his injury and permanent disfigurement on April 17 last year.

Sheriff Ian Fleming told him: “You have been found unanimously not guilty by the jury. You are free to go.”