Witness saw man stamp on victim's head

A COUSIN of a man who suffered serious injuries after an attack has described the moment he saw his head being stamped on.

Ipswich Crown Court heard yesterdaythat John Bennett saw his cousin, Jonathan Field, fall to the ground as though he had been hit and then had his head stamped on during an argument in Shackleton Road last October.

Thomas Crowley, 22, of Shackleton Road, Ipswich and Kieron Lambe, 18, of Beatty Road, Ipswich both deny inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on Mr Field on October 6, 2007.

It was heard that Mr Field remained in a coma for 72 hours following the assault and stayed in hospital until October 30.

The court heard that Mr Field and Mr Bennett had been at The Haven pub in Felixstowe Road where Crowley and Lambe had been drinking and a disagreement broke out.

On the walk home along Shackleton Road the jury heard 29-year-old Mr Bennett and his brother had become separated from Mr Field who shortly afterwards was seen following Crowley who ran past them towards his mother's home. Mr Bennett said Mr Field had something in his hand, possibly a brick.

As Mr Bennett got nearer to Crowley's mother's home, he saw Mr Field fall to the ground as though he had been hit.

Lambe was standing directly behind him but claimed he had not done anything.

Mr Bennett said: “Before I could get across the road to Joe [Mr Field], Tom [Crowley] ran out of his garden and jumped on his head.”

Simon Spence, defending Crowley, suggested that it was Mr Bennett who stamped on Mr Field's head as he lied in his initial police statement, claiming not to know anything. Crowley told police at the time that it was Mr Bennett who attacked Mr Field, and Mr Bennett was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assault. It was then that he changed his statement and said Crowley did it.

Mr Bennett told the court it was not him who attacked Mr Field and said he lied in his statement because he didn't want to get anyone in trouble.

The trial continues.