A man has told a jury at Bradford Crown Court he was left temporarily blinded and struggling to breathe after ammonia was sprayed in his face when he turned up for a fight on a football pitch.

Jordan Smith spent the night in intensive care at Bradford Royal Infirmary after he was attacked by Thomas Trotter, who squirted the chemical at him from a Lucozade Sport bottle.

Trotter, 24, of Burnham Avenue, Bierley, Bradford, denies causing Mr Smith grievous bodily harm with intent on the afternoon of July 7 last year.

He also pleads not guilty to an alternative charge of attempting to cause Mr Smith grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutor Louise Reevell told the court yesterday Trotter burned Mr Smith’s tongue and his eyes when he squirted the chemical at him after the two men met up to fight at a football ground in Bradford Moor.

Mrs Reevell said the men had argued over Mr Smith’s relationship with Trotter’s ex-partner. She had a child with Trotter and he objected to their baby being taken to Mr Smith’s home.

Mr Smith told the jury he rang Trotter to discuss the problem but got “a load of abuse back”.

The pair arranged to meet and Mr Smith said he knew that would involve them fighting.

He went to the football pitch with three male friends he was spending the day with and Trotter was there already.

Mr Smith said he and Trotter walked across the pitch towards one another.

Trotter then stood sideways on to him and he could not see his right hand.

Mr Smith said he thought Trotter was going to take a swing at him so he went to punch him first, but missed.

“He squirted ammonia in my face and it was just burning. It went in my eyes and on my tongue. I was struggling to breathe,” he said.

People came to help him and he was taken to hospital and kept in intensive care overnight in case he had swallowed any of the chemical or his tongue swelled up and he could not breathe.

Mr Smith said he could not see after the attack because his eyes would not focus and were sensitive to the light.

The court heard he had made a full recovery.

Trotter’s barrister, Yunus Valli, put it to Mr Smith that he had up to 30 people with him when he turned up for the fight. Mr Smith said he brought only three friends and his sister turned up as well.

He denied running at Trotter swinging his fists.

Mr Valli suggested that Trotter aimed the liquid at his body and some splashed on to his face.

The trial continues.