A MAN who was hit on the head with a golf club looked as though his ear was hanging off after the attack, it has been alleged.

Jane Hunt

A MAN who was hit on the head with a golf club looked as though his ear was hanging off after the attack, it has been alleged.

Andrew Martin was walking home through Hadleigh after a night out in Ipswich and had passed a group of three men and a woman near the Eight Bells pub, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

One of the group had asked him if he was all right and he had raised his hand in acknowledgement and carried on his way, said Charles Kellett, prosecuting.

He had then felt a shove on his right-hand side which had caused him to fall over. Mr Martin picked himself up and heard someone say “sorry”.

“He ignored this and carried on walking,” said Mr Kellett.

Mr Martin had then felt a blow to the left side of his head near his ear. A doctor who later examined him found four cuts on his head three of which required stitches.

A woman who saw the alleged incident told police that she had seen Dylan Woods, 24, of Angel Street, Hadleigh, and Lee Upson, 29, of Clopton Gardens, Hadleigh, in the town on the night of the alleged attack on Mr Martin.

She claimed she saw Woods hit Mr Martin on the right side of his face and then apologise to him.

She had then allegedly seen Upson pick up a golf club and hand it to Woods who allegedly hit Mr Martin on the side of the head with it.

The head of the golf club had come off during the alleged attack.

Mr Kellett said the witness had described Mr Martin's ear as bleeding and looking as if it was hanging off.

Mr Kellett said that on the evening in question two police officers on duty in Hadleigh had seen Upson and Woods together in Hadleigh with another man who was not involved in the alleged attack.

Upson and Woods have denied assaulting Mr Martin causing him actual bodily harm on October 19.

The trial continues today.