A BAILIFF has spoken of the moment a man chased a chip shop owner out of the door with a foot-long cleaver.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how bailiff Alan Harmer went to Papa’s Fish and Chip Shop, in East Street, Wivenhoe, with Theo Papadamou.

Mr Papadamou leased the shop to Ali Yildiz. A row over money broke out and Mr Papadamou returned with Mr Harmer to evict him on September 16.

Mr Harmer told a juryYildiz started getting agitated during the conversation with Mr Papadamou.

“I told Mr Papadamou and his wife to leave,” Mr Harmer told the court.

“Yildiz went behind the counter and he came back round with a knife.

“He ran out through the door and I tried to stop him, but he was faster than me.”

He described seeing Yildiz “hacking” at the back of Mr Papadamou as they ran down the road, until Mr Papadamou fell over.

Mr Harmer said: “Yildiz was standing over him and had the weapon as if to strike.”

When Yildiz got up to walk away, he followed Mr Papadamou, shouting for him to stop until he did, the court heard.

Mr Harmer said: “He was very agitated and I was worried he might try to run back to Mr Papadamou.

“He didn’t and he calmed down and gave me the knife.

“We walked back to the shop and sat on the tables outside to wait for the police.”

Yildiz, 33, of Maple Avenue, Chingford, has admitted causing grievous bodily harmwith intent and assault by beating.

But he denies the attempted murder of Mr Papadamou.

The court also heard from eyewitness Nina Trundle who was walking back from the shops when she saw Yildiz, who she knows, chasing Mr Papadamou.

She said: “Mr Papadamou fell over on to his back and I saw Yildiz swing at him. I thought he had a machete. He had it in both hands and I saw it make contact with Mr Papadamou’s arm.

“I was screaming and shouting for Yildiz to stop.

“I was really scared for my own safety, so I ran back tomy house, I am ashamed to say, and called the police and an ambulance.”

She added that Yildiz was normally a nice person.

The trial continues.