AN IPSWICH man was kicked “like a football” and left for dead in a town centre car park after being attacked by two men and a 16-year-old boy, it has been claimed.

Jane Hunt

AN IPSWICH man was kicked “like a football” and left for dead in a town centre car park after being attacked by two men and a 16-year-old boy, it has been claimed.

One of the men involved in the attack told a jury that he had started the violence by punching 48-year-old David Coleman in the jaw as they were walking across a car park near the Ipswich Town football ground in Portman Road.

Richard Smith, 23, who has admitted wounding Mr Coleman with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, said the blow had caused Mr Coleman, of Pooleys Yard, Ipswich to fall to the ground.

He had started to walk away but claimed that the two people he was with - Scott Warren, 19 and a 16-year-old boy- had told him that it wasn't enough and he had then run at Mr Coleman and kicked him in the stomach.

Asked by prosecuting counsel, Stephen Dyble how hard he had kicked Mr Coleman, Smith replied, “Like kicking a football.”

He said the 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, and Warren had been standing about five feet away when he kicked Mr Coleman.

He claimed that after he kicked Mr Coleman in the stomach Warren and the boy had repeatedly kicked Mr Coleman in the stomach, chest, head and face and had stamped on him.

He said the attack had lasted several minutes and when he walked away he thought Mr Coleman, who was lying motionless on the ground, was dead.

Smith told the court that earlier in the evening while he was at Rileys Snooker Club in the town Warren had told him that Mr Coleman, who was a homosexual, had tried to rape him.

He said the 16-year-old boy and Warren told him they were going to beat up Mr Coleman that night and had asked him to help them.

Smith said that while Warren, who lives in Brantham, was kicking and stamping on Mr Coleman he was saying; “You dirty little nonce”.

He claimed that the boy and Warren had taken it in turns to kick Mr Coleman.

Smith, of Furness Close, Ipswich, was giving evidence for the prosecution on the second day of the trial at Ipswich Crown Court of the 16-year-old boy who has denied wounding Mr Coleman on March 8 last year with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

It has been alleged that Mr Coleman, who worked at the KFC restaurant in Cardinal Park, suffered a serious brain injury after being viciously attacked by Smith, Warren and the 16-year-old boy.

The court has heard that because of the brain injury he was unfit to attend court and give evidence during the trial.

The prosecution has said the motive for the attack was unclear but said it was likely there had been a relationship between Mr Coleman and Warren.

He said that after the attack the 16-year-old had gone home but Warren and Smith had returned to the car park several times and had taken the injured man's mobile phone, bank cards, driving licence and a rucksack.

The emergency services were alerted an hour after the attack at about 4am after a postal worker spotted Mr Coleman in the car park.

The trial continues today (Thurs).