AN eyewitness has described a mass ‘brawl’ in the centre of Blackbird Leys just minutes before a 27-year old was left for dead in an alleyway.

Jason Needham, 27, of Kingsland Court, Luton, denies murdering Christopher Lemonius outside a house in Jourdain Road.

As his trial continued at Oxford Crown Court today eye-witness Jacob Earl described what he saw at Pegasus Road on the night of June 1 last year.

He told jurors he had been driving near to Blackbird Leys Park shortly before 11pm when he was confronted with a large group of men in the street – numbering between 10 and 16 he claimed..

From the witness box he said: “They were fighting. It was hard to make clear [with what] but sticks or batons of some sort.

“Every-one was [wearing] dark clothing and many were covered in hoodies.”

He said that the unfolding violence was between two separate groups and described the carnage as a ‘brawl’ in the middle of the street.

The court went on to hear that another car – an Audi A3 then ‘came towards’ the man while driving in a ‘dangerous’ manner.

Mr Earl then said that he made efforts to turn around at Field Avenue before fleeing the scene, and told the court he was ‘frightened’ and felt threatened at what was unfolding.

Needham denies having any involvement in the killing while prosecutors allege he was party to the ‘savage’ attack in which Mr Lemonius was hacked and beaten to death.

Earlier in the trial prosecutor Stuart Trimmer QC told jurors that Needham along with others may have been motivated by 'revenge' for carrying out the killing. He said that Mr Lemonius was chased to his eventual last stand before the men inflicted dozens of injuries.

The trial continues.