A MAN was beaten up and run over by a car in a case of attempted murder, a court heard.

Christopher Willis, 25, of Ruddington, was dragged for 18 metres under the vehicle in the early hours of March 24, Nottingham Crown Court was told.

Jurors heard he was set upon by four men in Warser Gate, Nottingham city centre, before being run over as he sat "dazed and defenceless" in the road.

Shouts of "run him over" were allegedly heard before the car, said to have been driven by Majid Hussain, appeared.

His alleged attackers are said to have been seeking revenge against brothers Jitan and Vishal Patel over alleged confrontation in the Gatecrasher nightclub, in which Mr Willis was uninvolved.

"When Mr Willis came out from beneath the car unconscious and injured, some of the 'heroes' in the street kicked, stamped on him and hit him with belts before getting into four cars and driving away," said Stuart Rafferty, QC, prosecuting.

Mr Willis was taken to hospital, where he had surgery for a broken pelvis.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on the operating table, and was "effectively dead for three minutes while they tried to resuscitate him," said Mr Rafferty. "The starvation of oxygen to his brain affected his sight, balance, the use of his hands and his memory. For him ordinary life is probably over."

Hussain, 27, of Ena Avenue, Sneinton, went on trial yesterday accused of attempted murder.

Hussain, Gulam Mir and Tahir Butt were among a group who were asked to leave Gatecrasher. They allegedly set off in cars to look for the two brothers and get revenge.

The men happened to be in the same street as Mr Willis when he was attacked.

Hussain also denies attempting to commit grievous bodily harm with intent after he struck one of the brothers with a glancing blow with the car.

Hussain, Mir, 23, of St Stephen's Road, Sneinton, and Butt, 28, of Wilford Grove, The Meadows, deny violent disorder.