THE sound of a hammer smashing into Henry Webster's head still haunts a teenager who saw the attack, a court heard.
The year 10 Ridgeway pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the jury at Bristol Crown Court: "You could actually hear his skull crack and see the blood go everywhere when he fell on the floor."
Wasif Khan, 18, of Caversham Close, Amjad Qazi, 19, of Broad Street, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have all denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
"It went to the bottom of your stomach, like just before you are sick," the teenage witness told the seventh day of the trial.
"A few days later all I could see was that hammer going over and over again. While I was close to it I could hear it. People near me could hear it.
"I heard his skull crack quite clearly from about 10 metres away.
"Blood was all coming down his face and on his hands where he was trying to stop the bleeding."
The pupil said he saw three Asian men enter the tennis courts at Ridgeway School, Wroughton.
He said one of the men was hunting around the dashboard of a red car before he entered the tennis court and repeatedly beat Henry in the back of the head with a silvery hammer with a black or blue handle.
"The one with the hammer was hitting Henry in the head with it," said the witness.
"Then he turned the hammer around and used the claw end.
"He brought the hammer down with the full force of his arm and shoulder."
The teenager said three Asian Ridgeway pupils, including the 15-year-old defendant, then kicked and punched Henry as he lay on the ground.
"While they were punching him the facial expressions of the kids doing it looked like they really wanted to hurt him.
"They kept punching and punching, over and over.
"While Henry was trying to block his face, they kept trying to stop him covering his face."
The trial continues
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