A man, who is facing charges of wounding, after he allegedly cut another man in the face at a Christmas party, told the court that he was attacked after he stepped on the complainant's toe and was merely defending himself.

Noel Walker, a 19-year-old painter, appeared before RM Glen Brown in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The court heard that on the day in question, Walker was involved in an altercation with a patron at a party. It is alleged that he used a ratchet knife to stab the complainant in the face.

Walker's lawyer, however, told the court that his client had stepped on the complainant's toe without realising it. He said Walker was pushed from behind and was also hit with a bottle. He added that the complainant was in the process of hitting Walker again and that's when he took out his knife. According to the lawyer, it was the force with which the complainant came down on Walker that caused the knife to cut him.

He told the court that Walker had no previous convictions, had been in jail since the incident and was gainfully employed. Having heard this, RM Brown granted the accused bail in the sum of $50,000 with surety, and said he was not to attend any more parties, as a condition of his bail.