A THUG who left an innocent teenager brain damaged for life lied about the attack until police showed him a video of it, a court heard yesterday.

Mark Hobson, 24, was thrown out of a nightclub after a fight over a girl, said prosecutor Shaun Dodds.

Outside the Visage nightclub in Stockton, Hobson vented his anger on Christopher Poole, 19, who did not want to fight, the court heard.

The town centre CCTV cameras recorded the teenager being beaten into a coma in June last year.

The attack left the victim with devastating brain injuries, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Mr Dodds told the jury: "He remains to this day severely mentally disabled. He will never be in a position to attend this court to give evidence as to what happened that evening."

Mr Dodds said that when police interviewed Hobson he claimed the 19-year-old punch-ed him first, but changed his tune after he saw the CCTV footage.

Hobson, of Shearwater Lane, Norton, Teesside, sat with his head bowed as the four minute video was shown in court, and relatives of Christopher wept.

Hobson pleads guilty to causing grievous bodily harm on June 18 last year, but he denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The case continues.