Leeds jury retires to consider verdict

HULL, England (AP) -- The jury retired Monday in the retrial of two Leeds United soccer players accused of taking part in a brutal beating of a student.

Leeds players Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer, and Paul Clifford and Neale Caveney deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent to 19-year-old Sarfraz Najeib in an attack in downtown Leeds in January last year. The four also deny affray.

Najeib, now 21, suffered serious injuries including a broken leg and a bite mark to his right cheek in the attack.

Judge Richard Henriques -- in the ninth week of the trial -- gave final instructions to the jury of seven women and five men at the Hull Crown Court before sending them off to deliberate.

Woodgate, Bowyer and their friends had been drinking heavily and allegedly chased Najeib down the street after a confrontation outside a nightclub. Najeib fell and was attacked as he lay on the ground, sustaining fractures to his nose, cheekbone and left leg.

In his evidence, Woodgate denied taking any part in the beating, claiming he fell down during a chase before the assault. Bowyer said he was assaulted as he jogged along the street, was left dazed and never went to the site of the attack.

The case is being reheard because the initial trial, which lasted for eight weeks between February and April, was halted after the jury had been sent out to consider its verdicts.

The judge ruled that an article in a Sunday tabloid newspaper was prejudicial to the case.

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