A resident who complained of chest pains allegedly told a nurse he had been “kicked in” by two of his carers, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Vivian Bridges, a staff nurse at Cambian Fairview Hospital which treated people sectioned under the Mental Health Act, said when she examined the 44-year-old man she saw bruises on his chest and ribs.

Ipswich Crown Court heard Mrs Bridges said she felt “really uncomfortable” at what she saw, contacted police and arranged for him to be taken to hospital.

She said that when she questioned the man, who she described as frail and unstable on his feet, about his injuries he said: “They kicked me in.”

Mrs Bridges said the man told her his injuries had been caused the previous day by his support workers Scott Geeson and Lelish Shercan and had repeated their names several times.

Richard Kelly, prosecuting, said that when taken to hospital he was found to have bruising to his chest and torso, multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung.

Geeson, 27, of Winnock Road, Colchester, and Shercan, 27, of Circus Square, Colchester, deny inflicting grievous bodily harm and a less serious alternative charge of ill-treating or wilfully neglecting the alleged victim in June 2016.

The court has heard the victim suffered from schizophrenia, borderline learning difficulties and autism.

He would become agitated if he wasn’t allowed a cigarette when he wanted and would run around, fall to the floor and lash out at staff.

Mr Kelly said footwear belonging to the defendants was examined by an expert who compared it to marks on the alleged victim’s body and found “limited” support that Shercan’s footwear had come into forceful contact with his chest and “moderate” support for Geeson’s footwear.

“The prosecution suggests these two men, without a shadow of a doubt, were the ones who did him in and that they did him in by kicking him,” said Mr Kelly.

“That’s why these marks are in his body and they did it while he was in his bedroom and they were out of camera shot.”

The trial continues.