Newbury Nightingales estate horror: Jake Bozarth, Dwayne Toussaint and Jake Blandford deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Callum Brown

A MAN beaten so savagely he sustained brain damage was also armed as he was chased through an estate, a court heard.

Alleged victim Callum Brown was giving evidence for the prosecution at Reading Crown Court on Friday, November 8.

But during cross examination it was claimed by a defence barrister that he had been carrying an asp, or club, while masking his face with a balaclava.

Jake Bozarth, Dwayne Toussaint and Jake Blandford, all aged 18 and 19, who lived on The Nightingales estate in Newbury where the mayhem happened, deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent on May 8 last year.

All three also deny violent disorder; Mr Blandford and Mr Toussaint deny a second instance of violent disorder while each defendant denies possessing offensive weapons in the form of baseball bats or metal poles.

Jurors have heard how a group of armed men chased, caught and beat Mr Brown into a coma with baseball bats.

In a graphic audio recording of the incident played to the jury there are thuds, screaming and a loud crack before a male voice shouts in apparent jubilation: “Brownie just got done; Brownie just got done,” as another laughs maniacally.

Mr Brown survived but had to endure invasive brain surgery and spent seven days in a medically induced coma, the jury heard.

He told jurors: “I tried to run; I was blocked off.”

Under cross examination by the defence, he was told: “You’re making it up as you go along; that’s the position, isn’t it?”

Mr Brown’a attention was drawn to discrepancies between his account to police and his evidence that day and told: “This is the mess you get into when you make things up - you don’t want to admit you were wearing a balaclava and carrying an asp.”

The hearing was adjourned for legal argument and is expected to resume before the jury this afternoon, Monday.

The case is expected to finish at the end of the week at the earliest.