THE former girlfriend of a man fatally stabbed by his twin brother has told jurors how he would become violent after drinking alcohol, a court heard.

Lisa Harfield was in a relationship with Christopher Cerqua from 2008 but split up months before he was killed by a single stab wound after a fight with his brother Robert, Winchester Crown Court heard.

Robert, 31, denies murdering Christopher following a fight at their family home in Langdown Road, Hythe, on New Year's Eve last year.

Ms Harfield told jurors how the couple split in the summer of 2013 after he hit her, breaking her nose as a result.

He moved out of the home they were living in and back into his parents house.

She told the court how he resorted to smoking cannabis in an attempt to calm his moods after drinking alcohol.

Jurors heard how Christopher was drinking up to eight to 12 cans of lager, and would turn "quite nasty" when drunk.

In evidence read out in court by prosecutor Nicholas Haggan, Ms Harfield told detectives on January 1 this year - the day after the incident - how Robert and Christopher were "same" after a few drinks.

The court heard how she told officers: "I would say they were both the same when drinking. Sometimes really funny, sometimes argumentative."

She told the court how Christopher's personality had changed in the six months leading up to his death and said there was an incident where she caught him self-harming.

When asked by Patrick Upward, defending, if she had noticed a change in Christopher, she said: "Yes, he was a lot more distressed. For some reason he never liked the person he was. He was more reliant on drink and drugs during the day time."

She said she took him to see his GP after an incident of self-harm in the kitchen.

She added: "I saw about half way through. He was on the side.

"He had a few beers and was listening to music. I heard the draw shut. I turned round and he was cutting himself.

"I took the knife off him. I just cried. I just cuddled him.

"He had depression tablets and tablets to help him stop drinking."

She said the tablets had a positive affect for a short while but he resorted to drinking again after he failed to get through to an alcohol advice hotline on various occasions.

At the end of her evidence, Mr Upward asked her: "In the summer of 2013 why did you and Chris split up?"

Ms Harfield tearfully replied: "He hit me."

She told jurors it caused a broken nose and she went to Southampton General Hospital for treatment but didn't make a complaint to the police.

Robert Cerqua, 31, of Langdown Road, Hythe, denies murder.

Proceeding.