A man heard “growling” moments before he was allegedly stabbed by a Countdown champion at a fan club tournament, a jury has heard.
John Cowen, 31, ran across a room with a knife in his hand and lunged across a table to attack rival Thomas Carey, the jury at Preston Crown Court was told.
The incident took place at a gathering of the Focal Countdown Group, where former contestants on the Channel 4 TV quiz show and fans meet to play each other, on 14 September last year, prosecutor Rosalind Scott Bell said.
CCTV footage showing Cowen as he entered the room at the Wainwright Social Club in Blackpool, Lancashire, shortly after 11.30am was shown to the jury.
Around 30 people were in the club’s function room at the time.
Mrs Scott Bell said: “The defendant had a knife in his left hand. You can just about make it out, glinting as he walks past the camera.
“He appears to see Mr Carey and he then breaks into a run and he goes straight for him. The defendant lunged across the table with his left hand going straight towards Mr Carey.
“Mr Carey was forced back on to the seat behind him and you can just about make out him trying to kick towards the defendant.
“Mr Carey then grabbed the defendant’s wrist in an endeavour to stop the assault. By then he had been stabbed.
“He will describe how he had only been at the Wainwright Club for a short while when he heard growling.”
Others in the room pulled Cowen away and restrained him on the ground before police were called.
Mr Carey was taken to hospital and treated for a stab wound to his left bicep.
Cowen was searched when he was arrested and found to have another kitchen knife in his pocket, the court heard.
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The alleged victim had been a member of the fan club since 2011 and knew Cowen from other Countdown events, Mrs Scott Bell said.
Cowen was not present in court as jurors were told he is “seriously mentally unwell” and in hospital.
Judge Guy Mathieson said he had ruled Cowen unfit to stand trial.
He told the jury it was a fact-finding hearing in which they will be asked to determine whether he did the acts as alleged.
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Cowen is charged with wounding and two counts of possession of a bladed article in a public place.
He appeared on Countdown in 2017 and scored the third-highest total of that series, including spotting a nine-letter word.
He competed in 11 more episodes and won eight consecutive matches before being defeated.
