THE man accused of murdering 18-year-old Rob Knox treats stabbing as "an occupational hazard", a court heard.

Prosecutor Brian Altman said Karl Bishop stabbed at least six men 11 times during the course of a melee outside the Metro Bar, Station Road, Sidcup, on May 24, in the full knowledge he would cause them serious harm.

Bishop, aged 21, claims he was acting in self-defence and had already been beaten up by Mr Knox and his friends that evening and again the week before.

But Mr Altman told the Old Bailey in his closing speech today (Feb 25): "This man was the aggressor and he was acting out of revenge.

"He knew that there was no need to resort to violence.

"He had brought the whole thing upon himself quite deliberately."

Mr Altman went on: "He had the whip hand. He was the one armed with and using two knives."

The prosecutor compared the injuries Bishop had received - cuts, grazes and bruises - with the wounds he had inflicted on others.

And he said the crowd had acted to disarm Bishop and "stop him stabbing others".

He said: "What else were they to do - stand by and watch this man swinging his knives around as clearly he was?"

Mr Altman added: "This man carries knives like others carry pens in their pockets, quite happily thinks little or nothing of stabbing others as if it were some occupational hazard.

"Carrying knives is abnormal, it is not permitted, it cannot be done."

He went on: "It is not glamorous, it is not normal and it is not lawful. People get seriously injured and people die - as this case all too tragically demonstrates."

Mr Altman told the court that Bishop, a "habitual knife carrier", was trying to suggest "people were throwing themselves at him like lemmings."

The prosecutor said: "Courageous or foolish perhaps, it doesn't matter because they were trying to do what they instinctively though was best in a highly dangerous and volatile situation."

And he accused Bishop of goading and encouraging people into a knife fight.

He told the jury that the defence, which claims Bishop was acting in self-defence, was asking them "to endorse the carrying of knives."

And he read back a statement by witness Scott Shorter who claimed Bishop shouted before the melee: "I told you someone was going to get hurt. I'm going to stab someone."

Mr Altman went on to describe how the defendant had said under cross-examination that there was no justification for Mr Knox's death and his action was "over the top."

He concluded: "This was a loss of temper by a very angry man who we say was bent on revenge, bent on showing those youths at the Metro Bar exactly who they were messing with."

Bishop, of Beaver Lodge, Carlton Road, Sidcup, denies murder and five counts of wounding with intent.

The trial continues.