A man seen kicking a dog in the street by a mum and child chased them away shouting: “Up the IRA”, a jury has been told.

Hours later, Irishman Gerard Keogh is alleged to have tried to murder the stepfather of his lover Natalie Amor.

Keogh, 37, of no fixed address, has denied attempting to murder Christopher Temm, assaulting Ms Amor and threatening to kill her friend, Ashley Lawrence.

But he admitted wounding Mr Temm with intent, having two knives in public, damaging Mr Temm’s Peugeot car and stealing Ms Amor’s handbag.

Prosecutor Simon Taylor told a jury at Canterbury Crown Court how Ms Amor and Keogh met in Dublin at New Year.

“During that trip the couple ‘hit it off’ and she invited him to visit her in Folkestone and in February she asked him to stay in her spare room.

“At first it worked well but by March the defendant had run out of money and wasn’t working," he claimed.

Keogh was then alleged to have become aggressive in questioning her about her friends “in a controlling way”.

Mr Taylor claimed on March 11, Ms Amor and Keogh travelled from Folkestone to Maidstone to go to a party – but she suggested she stay at a hotel by herself.

“The defendant took great offence at this – accusing her of wanting to have sex with someone else at the hotel.”

After the party Keogh wanted to have sex but Ms Amor refused and he called her a derogatory name.

During an argument Keogh tried to stop her leaving, it was claimed.

The following day Ms Amor claimed she was struck in the face on the return car journey after she tried to get out of the vehicle and run away.

On March 16, as she went to collect her children from school, she saw Keogh had a potato knife, which fell out of his pocket.

Mr Taylor said it was then that Keogh kicked the family dog and was spoken to by a passing woman and child.

“The defendant didn’t respond well to this. His response was to chase the mother and child away, shouting: "Up the IRA", it was claimed.

Ms Amor and the children then fled to her mother and step father’s home in Downs Road.

“It was here that the defendant tried to murder Mr Temm after charging towards him saying: “I’m going to kill you, “ he alleged.

The prosecutor said Mr Temm saw Keogh, armed with two knives, then launch a “ferocious attack” on him stabbing him in the arms and punching and kicking him as he lay on the ground.

“Mr Temm thought he was going to die and called out for help, shouting: ‘I’ve been stabbed’ and “He’s stabbing me” and his cries were heard by a neighbour,“he added.

Mr Temm was later taken to the William Harvey Hospital and treated for his neck and arm wounds.

Keogh is also accused of going to the home of Mr Lawrence’s home shouting: “You’re dead..you’re dead. I’m going to kill you," before running off.

The trial continues.