A MAN launched a ‘vicious’ attack which left his alleged victim unconscious during a four-hour long ordeal in a flat, a court heard.

Adrian Begley, of Stratton Way, Abingdon, denies one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Oxford Crown Court heard at the start of his trial yesterday how the 31-year old allegedly kicked and punched Timothy Marris repeatedly while at a Vineyard, Abingdon, flat on February 19 last year.

The jury panel of eight women and four men were told how another man - Graham Marsh, had already been convicted for his part in the attack but a jury had failed to reach a verdict on Begley.

Prosecutor Jonathan Stone, outlining the case for the re-trial, told the court: “It was a vicious assault on a much older man.

“[It happened] inside a flat at the hands – and feet – of two men.”

Mr Stone told the jury panel that on the night of the alleged attack Mr Marris had been invited to a flat by Marsh some time after 10.30pm.

He agreed to go the flat, the court heard, wrongly believing that two other friends would be inside and it was then that the alleged violence began.

Taking to the witness box the alleged victim, Mr Marris, said: “I was assaulted immediately, they started beating me up.

“Begley came into the room, he came and within five seconds kicked me in the eye. It was a proper kick, like a footballer.

“I covered myself up with my arms and they both carried on kicking and punching me and I lost consciousness about 30 seconds later.

“There were too many blows and kicks, its not possible one person [had] done that.”

At one point during the alleged ordeal, jurors were told, Mr Marris woke up to find Marsh making him drink vodka before more blows were rained on him.

He said that the violence had first started after Marsh demanded to know about an apparent relationship between his two friends.

In CCTV footage shown to the court Mr Marris is seen to stumble out of the flat after 3am before a friend ushers him to an upstairs room and an ambulance is called.

The court also heard that DNA evidence showed blood on Begley’s clothing and that the flat was found to have blood stains spattered on the walls.

His wounds included facial fractures and a sunken eye socket, the court heard, and Mr Marris told jurors that he had shoe prints on his body as a result of the alleged onslaught.

When interviewed by police, prosecutors said, Begley told officers that he had been in the flat but he had fallen asleep and had not been party to any violence.

Begley denies the single count and the trial – expected to last three days – continues.