A NIGHTCLUB employee charged with attempted murder wrongly accused another man of the crime, a jury heard.

Arthur McLauchlan, 23, is standing trial for allegedly attacking York man Philip Holdsworth with an axe.

McLauchlan told Leeds Crown Court he was on remand at Hull Prison when he saw someone visiting another prisoner.

At the time, he recognised the visitor as the axeman he had seen strike Philip Holdsworth twice on the head, he alleged.

But after seeing a photograph at court of the man standing up, he told the jury he had been mistaken.

"It was a desperate attempt by you to muddy the waters, to pull the wool over the jury's eyes," suggested prosecution barrister Richard Mansell.

"No, I don't think so," said McLauchlan.

McLauchlan, of Rothbury Street, Scarborough, denies the attempted murder of Mr Holdsworth, 23, of Lawrence Street, York.

The visitor accused by McLauchlan told police he was in Hull at the time of the attack and had never been to Scarborough.

McLauchlan alleged he saw a stranger in Woodlands Ravine, Scarborough, hit Mr Holdsworth twice on the head with an axe early on December 29.

The stranger had come across to the two men and asked them why they were fighting.

McLauchlan told the stranger he was trying to get back an axe from Mr Holdsworth that the York man had stolen from his family's home. The axe fell from Mr Holdsworth's sleeve and the stranger picked it up.

Mr Holdsworth pushed him and the stranger hit him twice, alleged McLauchlan.

The defendant described the stranger as being 5ft 9in or 10in tall, and of medium build. The jury heard that the visitor is 6ft 5in tall and of a thin build.

McLauchlan denied luring Mr Holdsworth to the badly-lit ravine with a tale of a drugs stash so he could kill him.

The trial continues.

Updated: 10:27 Friday, June 27, 2003