A STUDENT who died following a "random" street attack was kicked so hard that his head bounced off the pavement, a court heard.

James Whittaker was giving evidence on the second day of the trial of two men accused of murdering Joe Medforth, 21, from Ryther, between York and Selby.

Mr Medforth died due to catastrophic brain injuries more than a day after he was attacked while he was walking home with two friends from a night out in Preston, where he was a student.

One of those friends, James Whittaker, told a jury at Preston Crown Court yesterday that at first he believed two men had kicked Mr Medforth's prone body as he lay on the ground.

But later, cross-examined by Peter Wright QC, representing one of the defendants in the case, Carl Newton, he said he was "not sure" whether one or both men took part in the kicking.

He said both had been around Mr Medforth making "prancing bull" gestures with their fingers pointing from their head.

He said he then saw Mr Medforth felled with a punch, and his head hit the pavement hard.

Mr Whittaker told a jury he saw two men laughing above the student as he lay on the ground.

He said he distinctly remembered both men laughing when Mr Medforth crashed to the ground in Garstang Road, Preston, in the early hours of July 16 last year.

Mr Whittaker said he believed his friend was kicked twice in the head, so hard it bounced off the pavement.

The trial has been told that Mr Medforth, a student at the University of Central Lancashire, and two of his friends had visited the Warehouse nightclub, in Preston.

They were walking home to Balfour Road when two men, according to the prosecution, launched a "random, senseless and brutal attack", on Joe.

The student was rushed to hospital with blood pouring from a head wound.

The following day his condition suddenly deteriorated, and 30 hours after the incident he died of a "catastrophic brain injury", the jury has been told.

Newton, 21, or Princess Way, Euxton, Chorley and 20-year-old Anthony Silcock from Villiers Court, Plungington, Preston, have both denied murder.

When arrested Silcock said he had been larking around with Joe, making the bull impression, when the student had gone to the ground after seemingly "playing along" with what was happening.

Newton told police he had done nothing except to tap the body on the ground "to see if he was moving".

The case continues.

Updated: 10:11 Friday, January 06, 2006