Soccer: Leeds trial: Witnesses could be mistaken, judge warns

The judge in the Leeds United soccer trial has warned the jury that "honest" witnesses could have made mistakes about identification.

Summing up, Mr Justice Poole said some of the witnesses may have put Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer at the scene of an attack on an Asian student, because of publicity in the media surrounding their arrests.

He said that Woodgate, on his account, was in Mill Hill, but not taking part in the violence. Bowyer told the jury he was not in the street but was a "short distance" from two eye-witnesses who allegedly identified him.

Defender Woodgate, 21, of Middlesbrough, midfielder Bowyer, 24, of Leeds, Neale Caveney and Paul Clifford, both 21, of Middlesbrough, deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Sarfraz Najeib.

They also deny affray. Mr Najeib, 20, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, suffered serious injuries including a broken leg and fractured cheekbone in the street attack in January last year.

Leeds United defender Michael Duberry, 25, of Leeds, Woodgate, Clifford and Caveney also deny conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after the attack.

The judge also said James Hewison, one of Woodgate's friends who was out on the night, had been described as an orangutan and gorilla during the trial.

He told the jury they had probably seen television programmes about such creatures by David Attenborough, adding that orangutans and gorillas were quiet, sensible animals.

"I don't want to be unfair to Mr Hewison but counsel's comparisons were not particularly accurate," he said.

The jury has been told that Mr Hewison was drunk on the night in question and caused trouble throughout the evening.

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow.