A Korean labourer bled to death after being "brutally stabbed" by a New Malden businessman, a murder trial at the Old Bailey has heard.

Seong Hong, 35, appeared at the Old Bailey today, accused of murdering Myung Chul Jang after the pair were allegedly embroiled in a street fight.

Mr Jang challenged his boss to a fight after complaining about unpaid wages, the jury was told.

Members of Mr Jang's family wept as they heard some of the details of his death.

Sarah Forshaw, prosecuting, said: "The defendant had been arguing with the deceased for some time.

"It became heated. It was during the course of that heated argument that the defendant knifed the deceased."

The jury was told how Mr Hong had invited four workers back to his house, in Kingston Road, New Malden, for dinner and drinks on July 7, 2009.

A fight broke out after Mr Jang complained about not being paid for several months, to which Mr Hong was heard to reply angrily: "If anyone complains I'm going to do something to them," the jury heard.

This led to what one neighbour described as a drunken brawl in the street, shortly before Mr Jang was stabbed on the left side of his abdomen, slashing his liver and right lung.

Mr Hong, who called the police himself, denied murder, instead claiming he had unconsciously stabbed Mr Jang because of a hypoglycaemic blackout brought on by his diabetic condition.

The trial has been punctuated by numerous pauses to allow interpreters for the defendant to translate into English

The trial continues.