Student's face and leg 'stamped on'

Sarfraz Najeib, 21, suffered multiple injuries

A young student was stamped on by a gang alleged to include Leeds United soccer stars, a court heard.

The attack in Leeds city centre in January last year left 21-year-old Sarfraz Najeib with fractures to his face and leg, the jury at Hull Crown Court was told.

Leeds United footballers Jonathan Woodgate, 21, of Middlesbrough, and Lee Bowyer, 24, of Leeds, together with Paul Clifford and Neale Caveney, both 22 and from Middlesbrough, all deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Consultant pathologist Professor Christopher Milroy said that the Leeds Metropolitan University student had his leg kicked or stamped on with enough force to break it.

He described the incident as a "nasty and violent attack".

Prof Milroy told the retrial of the two players that he believed Mr Najeib's facial injuries were caused by a stamp which left a patterned appearance down one side of his face from the sole of a shoe.

It is more likely to have been a stamp rather than a kick

Professor Christopher Milroy
Pathologist

"Injuries to the skeleton would require a forceful blow," he said. "A stamp could account for all those injuries.

"It is more likely to have been a stamp rather than a kick because of the area involved."

He said the blow, which broke Mr Najeib's right fibula - the outside bone in the lower leg - would have had to have been a heavy one.

Bowyer denies the charges

"Bones are strong and blows do not normally break a healthy person's bones, certainly not leg bones," he said.

Abrasions

Prof Milroy said that when Bowyer was seen six days after the incident he was found to have abrasions on the fingers of one of his hands.

The pathologist said these could have been caused by a blow being struck but he could not rule out them being sustained in a fall.

The jury was told that England under-21 international Bowyer would not be in court on Wednesday because he was due to receive treatment for a nose injury.

Co-defendants Paul Clifford and Neale Caveney, both 22 and from Middlesbrough, deny the same charges.

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday.