A STUDENT who died after a random assault by two laughing attackers was tragically "in the wrong place at the wrong time", a court heard.

Joe Medforth, 21, suffered catastrophic brain injuries in the attack during a night out.

John McDermott, QC, prosecuting, told a jury of seven men and five women that "this could have happened to anybody".

Mr Medforth, from Ryther, between York and Selby, who was a student at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, died in hospital more than a day later.

Anthony Silcock, 20, of Plungington, Preston, and 21-year-old Carl Newton from Euxton, Chorley, Lancashire, both denied murder yesterday at Preston Crown Court.

The court heard Mr Medforth had gone out in Preston on the night of July 15 last year with two fellow students.

They had visited a nightclub, and had been returning home on foot.

"They were not drunk and certainly weren't looking for trouble," Mr McDermott told the jury.

The defendants, he added, had been drinking brandy, wine and lager and were "hanging around" a garage on Garstang Road with some girls on July 16, at around 2.45am.

When they saw Mr Medforth and his friends the two crossed the road and made the three their "targets", Mr McDermott alleged.

He said Mr Medforth and his friends made it clear they did not want trouble, but as the defendants barred and jostled them they became separated.

As the two friends walked on they turned to see the beginning of the "senseless violence", he said.

"They saw Silcock punch Joe in the face, knocking him to the ground."

Mr McDermott said Newton later told police he had "used his elbow" on Mr Medforth. The two defendants had by this time surrounded the psychology student. "They laughed at the prone body of Mr Medforth."

His head had cracked on the ground as he fell, and Mr McDermott said: "It must have appeared that he was injured."

The two defendants returned to their probably unconscious victim, who was bleeding from the back of the head, and both started to kick his head a number of times as they laughed again.

Mr Medforth was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital and was placed on a medical ward. But 24 hours later his condition deteriorated rapidly, and about 30 hours after being attacked he was pronounced brain dead.

The two defendants were arrested later at an address in Preston.

Mr McDermott told the jury scientific tests on a shoe worn by Silcock on his arrest "matched a mark on the face and head of Joe Medforth".

The court heard that in police interviews the two denied deliberately putting Mr Medforth to the ground.

Silcock told police he had been prancing around using his fingers at his head like a bull and Mr Medforth seemed to be "playing along" with the lark.

The next thing he was on the ground.

It had been a terrible accident and he denied kicking Mr Medforth.

Newton told police he had done nothing except "tap" the ribcage of the prone Mr Medforth to "see if he was moving".

The case continues.

Updated: 09:38 Thursday, January 05, 2006