HULL (Reuters) - Three Leeds United players kicked, punched
and knocked unconscious an Asian student in Leeds City Center
and a fourth, Michael Duberry, lied to help them cover up the
attack, prosecutors told a British court on Monday.
Midfielder Lee Bowyer, defender Jonathan Woodgate and reserve
team player Tony Hackworth face jail if they are found guilty
of charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray.
Two friends of Woodgate, Neale Caveney and Paul Clifford, are
also charged with affray and causing grievous bodily harm with
intent. All deny the charges.
Prosecutor Nicholas Campbell told a jury of eight men and four
women how a band of white males, including the three players,
chased a group of Asian students outside a nightclub. He said
some of the group, including Hackworth, Caveney and Clifford
threw Sarfraz Najeib against a wall.
``He was knocked and punched repeatedly about the head, face
and body,'' Campbell said, in the opening speech of a trial
set to last eight weeks.
Bowyer and Woodgate joined in the attack after the student had
already been knocked unconscious, kicking and punching him,
he said. ``Woodgate was seen to step back and jumped up with
both feet in the air, landing with force on his body,'' Campbell
said.
Najeib suffered severe injuries to the head, face and legs.
He had human bite marks on his cheek, which experts said matched
the teeth of defendant Clifford.
Leeds defender Duberry, Woodgate, Clifford and Caveney are charged
with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. All deny the
charges.
The attack came after the footballers, who have been barred
from international football but continue to play for Leeds,
left a nightclub in Leeds after a heavy night of drinking.
The players and their friends had each drunk five points of
vodka-based drinks and had visited several bars, including a
lapdancing club, in Leeds city center. One of their party was
thrown out of the club for rowdy behavior, and the others followed.
Moments later they were chasing a group of British Asian students
who had left at the same time, Campbell said.
The prosecution said the attack was motivated by heavy drinking
and by group loyalty. Campbell described pictures caught on
security cameras which show Bowyer embracing Cavenay.
The scene was recorded just moments after the attack took place,
Campbell said. ``There was a heady mix of alcohol, camaraderie
and adrenaline that night... What you will see on camera was
a display of visible emotions, aroused by a violent attack which
both had been party to and what they thought was a victory they
believed they had won,'' he said.
