Premiership: Man bit student like a dog, footballers trial told
A barmaid saw a man bite a student's face and shake his head from side to side like a dog in a street brawl allegedly involving three Leeds United footballers, a jury has heard.
The 21-year-old barmaid, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said the attack on Sarfraz Najeib was disgusting and horrific and told Hull Crown Court she had to turn away.
Mr Najeib's father Muhammad was visibly distressed and left the public gallery as the barmaid described the attack.
"I thought they had killed him," she said. "A guy was kneeling over the guy on the floor and he looked like he was biting him.
"He was shaking his head from side to side. It seemed he was taking a bite like a dog would."
England international defender Jonathan Woodgate, 21, of Middlesbrough, England U-21 international Lee Bowyer, 24, of Leeds, Leeds United 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 Sarfraz Najeib, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. They also deny affray.
Woodgate, Caveney and Clifford, with Leeds United defender Michael Duberry, 24, of Leeds, also deny conspiring to pervert the cause of justice after the attack, in January last year.
The jury has been told that Mr Najeib, 20, was kicked and beaten senseless in a street attack in Mill Hill, Leeds. He suffered a smashed nose, fractured cheek and broken leg.
The prosecution alleges Clifford bit Mr Najeib.
The barmaid said she started to walk away from Mill Hill and when she turned round saw the white men sprinting away from the scene of the attack. The case continues.
