A TRIAL was dramatically disrupted on Tuesday afternoon when a defendant accused of assaulting his next door neighbour had to be taken to hospital.

Jurors at Caernarfon Crown Court had earlier in the day heard how David John Leavers, of Peniel Terrace, Llan Ffestiniog, had suffered more than 20 heart attacks during his life before he became unwell as he gave evidence in his defence.

The 71-year-old has been on trial since Monday accused of wounding with intent after allegedly striking next door neighbour David Lloyd Hughes with a shovel, causing him to lose part of the little finger on his right hand.

At around 12.40pm on Tuesday, Leavers asked His Honour judge Rhys Rowlands if he could have a rest from giving evidence but, during the break, took a further turn for the worse and was taken by ambulance from the court building.

Jurors were told that the defendant had been taken to hospital and matters were adjourned until 10.30am on Wednesday when the court is expected to be updated about Leavers’ condition.

Giving evidence, Leavers had told jurors how ill-health and injuries to his own hands demonstrated that he could not have committed the crimes he is accused of committing.

On Monday, the court heard that the pensioner was accused of attacking 51-year-old Mr Hughes, firstly with an iron bar and then with a garden shovel.

Mr Hughes said: “It struck my hand and I was in extreme pain at the time. I heard it crack.

“I seriously knew I was in trouble. As far as I was concerned, he was trying to kill me.”

However, when giving his evidence, Leavers insisted his neighbour had been the aggressor, lunging at him with the four-foot iron bar and forcing him to defend himself with the shovel.

The 71-year-old said he had a history of heart attacks, even to the extent that he once appeared as a patient on the TV show Helimeds, that he suffered with angina and had little strength in his hands.

Leavers lost two fingers on his right hand during a work accident in 1989 and damaged his left hand some years later.

He said that, as a result, he couldn’t have attacked Mr Hughes in the way that has been claimed and that it was he, in fact, who felt his life was in danger.

“I thought ‘shit,’ I’m in trouble here,” he said.

Leavers is accused of wounding with intend, an alternative lesser change of unlawful wounding and causing criminal damage.

He denies all the charges.

Proceedings continue.