A MAN who was trying to ''break in'' to a home was murdered by the resident - who thrust a massive 3FT samurai sword though the front door, a court heard.

Jonathan Roper, 34, was trying to get into the home of David Harris, 26, in a row over a mobile phone, a jury was told.

Harris then stuck the one meter long lethal sword out of the entrance to his property - plunging it into him.

The weapon went 25cm into Mr Roper's stomach causing fatal damage to several organs and arteries and he bled to death on the pavement outside, it was said.

The victim and several people had arrived at the property to retrieve some money and a mobile phone they said had been taken the day before during a row, a court heard.

Witnesses in the home said the group had been trying to ''break in'' when the defendant shoved the sword through the door, Bristol Crown Court was told.

Harris, of Wells, Somerset, denies charges of murder and wounding with intent.

Anna Vigars, QC, prosecuting, said: "At no stage did David Harris shout a warning nor brandish the weapon. He simply responded by attacking those people outside.

"People are, of course, entitled to defend themselves. The question will be - how proportionately?

"An incident which at worst could have been punch-up on a doorstep instead resulted in the death of a man."

The trial was was told the incident happened at the property in Wells, Somerset when a group arrived at the home.

They were angry over a disagreement that took place in the home a day previously, it was said.

The court heard a group of teens had gone to the house - occupied by dad Adrian Harris and sons Jamie and defendant David - the day before to buy drugs.

But a "disagreement or dispute" ensued involving one of the youths and they all left soon after.

Mrs Vigars said: "There's some suggestion that a mobile phone was taken [during the dispute] or he was using a dodgy £20 note.

"There's some suggestion there was physical violence used towards him by the same people in the house."

This news of the incident was then relayed back to a group involving Jonathan and Lesley Roper.

The pair spent the following afternoon drinking in a pub before deciding with three others to confront the occupants of the house.

A witness inside the house, who is not being named, described hearing "aggressive banging" when the group first arrived.

Mrs Vigars said: "From upstairs she heard some shouting. She heard the door open and some really angry and quite low voices.

"David and Jamie ran downstairs. She could see the three of them [Adrian] pushing the door to get it shut. Jamie shouted at her not to come downstairs.

"When he came back up he said a group of men had been trying to break in. They went out onto the landing.

"She then saw what she described as a samurai sword and it had what looked like a lot of blood on it.

"David said something like: 'I've got someone'. He knew what he had done.

The weapon - shown to the jury - was described as "about a metre long"

The witness said she could see blood from "tip of the blade to the handle"

following the incident, which happened in a matter of seconds.

After Jonathan Roper had been hurt, Lesley Roper was also caught by the blade - causing a sizeable injury to his arm.

Mrs Vigars said: "[The witness] then heard the tap running. When [the sword] was examined it had David Harris' and Jonathan Roper's DNA.

"What is clear is this: Jonathan Roper and Lesley Roper were hurt by a weapon thrust out of the front door.

"The weapon [the witness] saw was covered in blood and David Harris took it into the bathroom to wash it.

"It's a weapon which is instantly and obviously capable of causing huge damage."

After being stabbed Jonathan Roper staggered to nearby Wookey Hole Road, where he bled to death on the pavement.

The trial continues.