A WITNESS who went to the aid of a man left for dead following a confrontation with youths described those responsible as “cowards”.

Seven teenagers are on trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of the murder of Shane Tunney and assaulting his 21-year-old friend Anthony Kirk at about 2am on June 27 last year in Norton, near Stockton.

The trial has heard how the 24-year-old victim, who died in hospital five weeks after being attacked, was pelted with rotten food as he used a cashpoint in Norton High Street and challenged the gang of teenagers allegedly responsible for throwing the items from a roof.

Witness Jamie Taylor, whose recorded evidence was played to the jury, said he had been laid in bed when he heard shouting and looked out of the window and saw Mr Tunney and Mr Kirk stood on a corner with a gang of youths making their way towards them.

The witness said Shane Tunney had taken his shirt off and was saying “ha'way then” and “one of yous going to pay for this”.

He said: “Out of nowhere [a defendant] pulled this bar out and smashed Shane on the head with it.

“He stumbled back and that was the cue for them to start punching.”

The witness said Mr Tunney’s attackers were “cowards”.

He said: “It all happened so quick, I could not put a number on who was hitting Shane and Anthony, but there must have been ten to 15 of them there on the night.

“I saw one of them uppercut Anthony and one said ‘empty your pockets now’.”

Mr Taylor said that at point he had seen enough and after getting dressed he ran out and “scattered them all”.

He said he saw Mr Tunney on the floor and tried to put him in the recovery position, also putting his jacket over him to keep him warm.

Mr Taylor said he could not feel Mr Tunney’s breath and said the noise he was making while unconscious had “haunted him”.

He also described the 24-year-old, a car valet from Norton, and his friend as being “far from fighters”.

Earlier, a woman whose flat overlooks the High Street and saw the prelude to the disturbance, said one of the individuals involved reminded her of One Direction’s Harry Styles.

Charlotte Crowe said she heard the “little lad” shouting “Come on if you think you’re f***ing hard enough” and “Let’s get him”.

Brandon Pitt, Kieron Harry Davis, his cousin Kearan Terry Davis and Jake Douglas deny charges of murder and also attempted grievous bodily harm with intent in respect of Anthony Kirk.

Three others - two aged 17 and one of 16, none of whom can be identified because of their ages - have also pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

The trial continues.