A FORKLIFT truck engineer has told a jury of his efforts to help an unconscious man after he was felled by a 16-year-old boy in the street,

Andrew Sibson was sitting in his car when he saw Craig Kaye knocked down by the youth in Hollybank Road, Great Horton, Bradford, at around midnight on August 31 last year.

Mr Kaye, 40, of Great Horton Road, suffered a life-threatening brain injury when his head struck the pavement.

Sibson, of Northdale Mount, Wibsey, Bradford, is on trial at Bradford Crown Court with Warren Smith, 46, of Hillam Street, Great Horton, and a youth who cannot be named because of his age.

All three plead not guilty to causing Mr Kaye grievous bodily harm with intent.

The teenager, now 17, has admitted the lesser offence of causing him grievous bodily harm. Smith and Sibson deny that offence.

Smith has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by lying to the police. Sibson denies the charge.

The Crown accuses all three defendants of a joint enterprise attack by searching out Mr Kaye that night and staying at the scene until he was seriously injured.

Sibson told the jury he went looking for Mr Kaye because he had slapped and punched a 16-year-old boy at a party.

He said he was angry when he came across Mr Kaye, who had been drinking.

"He was drunk and his eyes were pinned," Sibson said.

He was pointing at Mr Kaye and had his fist clenched and raised, but he never touched him.

When Smith told him: "Leave it and walk away," he got into his car and started to drive off.

He was shaking after the confrontation and paused to roll up a cigarette.

He thought the incident was over and had no idea that the teenager was going to strike Mr Kaye.

After Mr Kaye went down, he put him in the recovery position and covered him with a coat while Smith called an ambulance.

All three then waited at the scene for the emergency services to arrive.

Mr Kaye had life-saving surgery at Leeds General Infirmary. He is still in hospital nine months later and his outlook is bleak, the court has been told.

The jury is expected to begin considering its verdicts on Monday.