By Peter Beal, PA News

A jury has heard Leeds United footballer Lee Bowyer telling police that he never reached the scene of a street attack in which a young student was beaten senseless.

Bowyer, 24, told detectives that he ran after his friend and team mate Jonathan Woodgate, away from a Leeds City centre nightclub - but that he then fell over and was punched and kicked in the head.

The jury at Hull Crown Court heard tapes of police interviews with Bowyer on his arrest on January 18 last year -six days after 21-year-old Sarfraz Najeib was attacked in Mill Hill following a confrontation outside the Majestyk nightclub.

Bowyer was heard telling detectives that he ran after Woodgate, after learning he had been thrown out of the club and being told by a doorman which way he had gone.

Bowyer told police: "I thought I would try and go and see if he could come back in or if he had done anything wrong."

He said he had just overtaken Woodgate when he fell over.

"Somebody whacked me," he said. "I would have thought personally it was a kick. I remember taking a whack and can't remember anything after that until I was walking back to the club."

Bowyer, of Leeds, Woodgate, 21, of Middlesbrough and Paul Clifford and Neale Caveney, both 22 and from Middlesbrough, deny causing Mr Najeib grievous bodily harm with intent. They also deny affray.

Bowyer told the detectives he carried on running past Woodgate because he could see there was some trouble ahead.

"Jonathan looked as if he didn't want anything to do with it," he said.

"I went past him to see what was happening. That's when I fell over and took a whack."

He said he had seen "a load of people fighting" but never reached the scene.

Asked if he was involved in any fight or disturbance in Mill Hill Bowyer said: "I wasn't, no."

After being cautioned and charged Bowyer said: "I took a whack. I don't understand why I am here."

After the prosecution closed its case, the trial was adjourned until Thursday.

Next article: Bowyer "had blood on his jacket"

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