A knife collector nicknamed Robin Hood because he wears medieval-style clothes attacked his neighbour with a 3ft sword in a noise nuisance row, a court heard.

Edward McDonald stormed round to Thomas Blackman's home and partially sliced through his arm after repeatedly warning him to be quieter "or else", a jury was told.

The 59-year-old, clad in a lace-up smock and leggings, allegedly "hammered" on the front door and when it opened attacked the victim with such force the blade cut through the flesh and hit and fractured the bone.

McDonald, who likes to be addressed as "Count" McDonald and sports a lengthy beard, is accused of attacking his neighbour one evening last July after a long-running noise dispute.

Terrified Mr Blackman managed to slam the door in his assailant's face before phoning a friend and saying: "I've just been attacked by Robin Hood".

He told a jury how the alleged attack came following complaints by McDonald about noise he claimed Mr Blackman made in their block of flats in Kennedy Court, Stonehouse Drive, Hastings.

Mr Blackman said he had lived at his home for six years and only McDonald, said to collect swords and daggers, had complained about the noise he made.

He told Lewes Crown Court: "Mr McDonald had a beard, shoulder-length hair and wore old-fashioned clothes. He wore clothes like Robin Hood would wear.

"A few times he came knocking on my door saying I had been making noise all day and I would tell him I had been out all day.

"He spoke to me outside once and said I had better stop it or else. I hadn't been making any more noise than I normally made and no one else had ever complained."

Mr Blackman said on the night of the alleged attack he had been playing computer games with his friend.

He said: "About ten minutes after my friend left, as I was about to have a bath, I heard hammering on the door and thought it was my friend coming back.

"When I opened the door I saw Mr McDonald. He was wearing leggings and a lace-up top. He was standing in front of me with his right hand behind his back.

"He was saying I was making a lot of noise and I swore at him, telling him to go away. He was very angry. There was an evil appearance in his eyes.

"He started shouting and getting angry and pulled a sword from behind his back. He raised the sword.

"I had my arm across my chest and he hit my arm with the sword. I put my arm up because I thought the sword was going to go into my head.

"I then backed away and managed to lock the door. He was still hammering on it with the sword. When I looked at my arm, blood was shooting everywhere.

"I managed to wrap my arm up in a jumper and rang my friend's wife and told her I had been attacked by Robin Hood."

McDonald was later arrested and is said to have told police he was asleep at the time.

He denies wounding with intent.

The trial continues.