An ambulanceman told the trial involving four Leeds United players today that one of the footballers accused of attacking an Asian student looked like the star of a cult film.
Mr Andrew Finn told Hull Crown Court that reserve team striker Mr Tony Hackworth resembled Hollywood actor Mr Chris Klein from the 1999 box-office comedy hit American Pie.
Mr Finn told the jury he was attending an incident outside the Queen's Hotel in Leeds city centre on the night Mr Sarfraz Najeib was attacked when Mr Hackworth approached him.
"He [Mr Hackworth] was genuinely concerned," said Mr Finn.
"He said that he had seen a group of men chase some Asian guys and one of the Asian guys had fallen down and they had started to batter him and he had tried to break it up. In doing so his shirt had torn open."
Mr Finn told the jury he was a film fan and Mr Hackworth reminded him of Mr Klein, adding: "I believe he looked like one of the main stars in the film."
The jury was shown a photograph from movie magazine Empire, which features Mr Klein in bed with other actors from the film.
Mr Finn told the jury that Hackworth, who he had picked out in an identification parade, looked like "the gentlemen between two ladies".
England international defender Mr Jonathan Woodgate (21) of Middlesbrough; England under-21 international Mr Lee Bowyer (24) of Leeds; Mr Hackworth (20) of Leeds; and Mr Neale Caveney and Mr Paul Clifford (both 21) of Middlesbrough deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Najeib, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. They also deny affray.
Mr Woodgate, Mr Caveney and Mr Clifford, with Leeds United defender Mr Michael Duberry (24) of Leeds, also plead not guilty to conspiring to pervert the cause of justice after the attack in January last year.
PA