A SIMMERING feud over a car washing business erupted into violence on a garage forecourt, leaving one man with a life-threatening injury and his cousin charged with attempted murder, a court heard.

Albert Matmuja, from Albania but living in Newnham Place, Cwmbran, stabbed Arjan Matmuja four times after the pair fought at the Star Car Wash, Criddle’s Garage, Tregwilym Road, Rogerstone, on June 20 last year, Cardiff Crown Court was told today.

Prosecuting, Mike Hammett said Arjan Matmuja sold the Star Car Wash to Albert Matmuja a year before the incident for around £30,000, the latter telling police he believed his cousin had “overstated the profitability of the business” and the sale price had been too high.

The matter became a source of bad feeling between the two, as had the issue of a number of caravans belonging to Arjan Matmuja and left at the site.

There was a dispute about their ownership and their worth.

Outlining the prosecution case, Mr Hammett said between 8.30am and 8.45am on June 20, Arjan Matmuja arrived at the car wash intending to confront his cousin.

“As soon as they saw each other they began to fight and at that stage it was nothing particularly serious, simply a scrap,” said Mr Hammett.

He described Arjan Matmuja as coming to his senses and walking away towards his car, intending to leave.

But Albert Matmuja ran to a shed on the site, emerged with a knife and “in an angry state of mind” stabbed Arjan four times, “blows the prosecution says were calculated to cause serious if not life threatening injuries,” said Mr Hammett.

The latter sustained stab wounds to the groin, back and left leg, the latter causing him to fall. Albert Matmuja then stabbed him a fourth time under an armpit, the court heard.

The wound punctured Arjan’s chest cavity, filling it with blood and leaving him struggling to breathe.

Arjan Matmuja drove himself to the Royal Gwent Hospital where he required emergency treatment and spent three days in intensive care.

Mr Hammett said doctors described the chest injury as life-threatening and “had he (Arjan) not received treatment it is likely he would have died.”

After his arrest, Albert Matmuja told police his cousin had attacked him and said: “I may have done it (stabbed him) in the heat of the moment.”

Albert Matmuja has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, and also to an alternative charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Proceeding