Premiership: Soccer star made flying jump at student, court told

A 20-year-old bar worker has told a jury of his horror as he saw England international Jonathan Woodgate jump with both feet at an Asian student lying on the ground.

Sarfraz Najeib's body jolted as a result of the two-footed attack by Woodgate, Hull Crown Court was told.

The bar worker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he was disturbed and distressed by the attack on Mr Najeib, 20, which lasted no more than a minute.

He said under cross-examination that he also saw England Under-21 international Lee Bowyer force his head towards Mr Najeib's face, adding: "Whether or not he was whispering to him or biting him I am not sure."

The bar worker told the court he had just finished work and was walking in Mill Hill in Leeds when a group of four or five Asians came running down the street at some speed, followed by a group of three white men. The worker said two more white men then ran round the corner and joined in the attack.

He said Woodgate was part of the second white group which ran into Mill Hill. He told the jury that Woodgate stepped back from Mr Najeib and took a flying jump at him with both legs. He said after the attack he saw newspaper stories in which photographs appeared of Bowyer and Woodgate and admitted he did not know the pair before seeing them in the paper.

Woodgate, 21, of Middlesbrough, Bowyer, 24, of Leeds, Leeds United's reserve team striker Tony Hackworth, 20, of Leeds, and Neale Caveney and Paul Clifford, both 21, of Middlesbrough, deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Najeib, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. They also deny affray.

The jury has been told that Mr Najeib, 20, was kicked and beaten senseless in a street attack in Mill Hill. He suffered a smashed nose, fractured cheek and broken leg.

Woodgate, Caveney and Clifford, with Leeds United defender Michael Duberry, 24, of Leeds, also plead not guilty to conspiring to pervert the course of justice after the attack in January last year.

Desmond de Silva QC, for Bowyer, said the bar worker had wrongly identified his client as the man who bit Mr Najeib. The prosecution has alleged that Clifford was the man who bit Mr Najeib. Under cross examination by Mr de Silva, the bar worker admitted he was wrong in identifying Bowyer as the man who bit Mr Najeib.

The trial was adjourned.