A YOUNG man was viciously beaten up by a gang after being lured to a local beauty spot by his ex-girlfriend, it has been alleged.

A young man was beaten up by a gang after being lured to a Suffolk beauty spot by his ex-girlfriend, it has been alleged.

Kristin Burns arranged to meet her former partner Liam Rumsey at the Orwell Country Park, near Ipswich, on the pretext of going for a riverside walk, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

But when he got there he was set upon and subjected to a vicious beating by a group of men recruited by her, it was claimed.

After the alleged attack, 21-year-old Mr Rumsey, of Atherton Road, Ipswich, was “callously” left bleeding and seriously injured on the ground, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.

Fortunately, some of the incident was witnessed by passers-by who raised the alarm and Mr Rumsey was rushed to hospital. He was put on a neurological intensive care ward on a life-support machine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, and underwent brain surgery and would need further surgery in the future, said Mr Crimp.

Before the court are Matthew Osborn, 22, of Valiant Road, De Brink on the Green, Martlesham Heath; Darren Gorham, 22, of Marigold Avenue, Ipswich; and Lewis Dowe, 22, of Ramsey Close, Ipswich.

They have all denied wounding Mr Rumsey with intent to do him grievous bodily harm on May 3 this year.

Mr Crimp told the court that Mr Rumsey and Kristin Burns had been in a relationship, but this had ended by May 3 although they remained in contact through text messages.

“In revenge for some slight, real or imagined, Kristin Burns decided to arrange an attack on Liam Rumsey,” said Mr Crimp.

He claimed that 20-year-old Burns, of Sinclair Drive, Ipswich, initially arranged the attack with David Cooper, 24, of Mildmay Road, Ipswich, and subsequently recruited the three defendants.

The court heard that Burns sent text messages to Gorham, Osborn and Dowe prior to the alleged attack.

In a text to Gorham, she said she needed a favour and spoke of “doing over” her former boyfriend because he had beaten her up.

“The plan was for Kristin Burns to invite Liam Rumsey to a place where he could be seriously assaulted and that place was Orwell Country Park,” said Mr Crimp.

“It is the prosecution case that these three defendants together with Kristin Burns and David Cooper set out in a joint enterprise to inflict really serious bodily harm on Liam Rumsey,” said Mr Crimp.

The jury in the case visited the scene of the alleged attack at Orwell Country Park yesterday.

The first prosecution witnesses are due to be called today