A passenger was left with a collapsed lung after he was stabbed in the chest during a road-rage incident.

Neil Fitzpatrick, now a serving British soldier, was making his way to a city centre nightclub with Army friends when he was knifed by Alan Roberts, 22, leaving his right lung visible through a gaping wound.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Mr Fitzpatrick was a passenger, along with three others, in Lee Smith's car which was heading towards the Ikon nighclub in Newcastle.

Mr Fitzpatrick told the court how a blue Renault Clio, driven by Mr Roberts' girlfriend Victoria Carter started braking in front of them, almost causing a collision.

He said; "We pulled up at traffic lights and me and two of my friends got out of the car. We were walking over towards the Clio.

"I was going to ask them what was going on because my mate had nearly crashed three times."

The court heard how Mr Roberts got out of his girlfriend's car and attacked Mr Fitzpatrick.

He added: "The passenger jumped out and swung a punch at me and I moved back. I retaliated and hit him in the head and we started throwing punches at each other.

"I stood back and tried to take a breath but I couldn't breathe. I looked at my side and I had blood all down one side. I realised I had been stabbed."

Mr Fitzpatrick told the court how he frantically called for his friends who were able to drive him to a nearby police station where officers called an ambulance.

Bleeding heavily, he was taken to hospital where his punctured lung was drained and repaired. He spent three days in hospital.

Mr Roberts allegedly tried to dispose of his bloody clothes and the knife, but was arrested a short time later.

He told police he had been acting in self defence after the soldiers almost caused an accident with his girlfriend's car, and then Mr Fitzpatrick got out and attacked him.

But Penny Moreland, prosecuting, said: "To stab someone in the chest, of all places to choose, is far in excess of self defence."

Mr Roberts, of Rothbury Terrace, Heaton, Newcastle, denies wounding with intent. The trial continues.