A STAR Wars fan accused of punching a fellow cinemagoer allegedly sat back down in his seat after the altercation, adamant that he was still going to be watching the film.

Jon Hudson, 39, from Barry, is accused of attacking fellow fan Richard Best in the aisles at the Vue Cinema in Wood Street, Cardiff, at a screening of Star Wars: Rogue One.

Cardiff Crown Court how Hudson had waited a year to see the latest instalment of the the sci-fi franchise and went to the screening with Mr Best and two other friends - including one known as The Jedi.

But he allegedly left Mr Best in a bloody heap after they brawled in the aisle - and went back to his seat and was transfixed to the screen as the title sequence began.

Vue cinema manager Christopher Hallam said he was stood at the back of screen 4 after being made aware of the four "loud" men.

Mr Hallam said: "They were yelling at each other and there was some strong language.

"One man stood up and crossed over to another man to his right and gesticulated with his face. It was aggressive behaviour.

"The man standing then struck the other man in the face."

Mr Hallam said he called security for assistance as the attack continued, before approaching Hudson to ask him to leave.

But Mr Hallam said Hudson refused to leave - as he wanted to watch his favourite movie.

Mr Hallam said: "He just sat back down and was adamant he was going to remain in the screen and watch the film.

"But by this time the police had arrived."

Cardiff Crown Court heard Mr Best was left covered in blood after the attack, which started just before the film's famous opening sequence: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

Witness Ffion Phillips said the group of four men were talking loudly and smelled of alcohol as they entered the screen.

She said: "People were asking them to be quiet.

"I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but they were talking loudly."

She said Hudson approached Mr Best and pulled him up by his shirt collar before punching him in the face and the two men brawled in the footwell.

Hudson told police he wasn't drunk - because he had waited for a year to watch the movie and wouldn't have risked missing it.

In a transcript read out in court, Hudson said: "I'd only drunk two cans because I'd been excited for a year to watch it.

"I wouldn't get drunk for a film I'd been waiting to watch.

Hudson told police he believed Mr Best had stolen his phone, and it was he who was attacked after confronting him.

He said: "I just walked around The Jedi and asked for my phone back."

He said he was already "devastated" at having to miss trailers for other films because Mr Best and the Jedi were late in arriving.

Hudson said: "I knew they were showing trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Two, I was gutted I missed them. But I knew I hadn't missed Rogue One."

Prosecutor Andrew Kendall told the trial Hudson demanded £10 from acquaintance Mr Best to pay for his tickets, and became aggressive after being told to keep quiet.

Mr Kendall said: "He punched Mr Best, putting him to the floor.

"Mr Best was left with cuts to his right ear, nose, and left eye, and a with a black eye."

He said a fourth man - a friend of Hudson -then allegedly kicked Mr Best in the head.

David Leathley, defending Hudson, said his client was a Star Wars "fanatic" and he had paid for both the film tickets and a taxi journey for Mr Best because he was so "excited".

Mr Leathley also told the jury to "beware of the dark side," saying witness accounts were unreliable due to the lighting in the cinema.

He said: "In the words of Han Solo, don't you have a bad feeling about this?

"The cinema and audience were in darkness. Beware of the dark side.

Hudson denies actual bodily harm and assault with intent to commit robbery.

The trial continues.