He tried to kill me with his car

Daniel Twumasi, 31, formerly of Meadway Court in Maybridge, was so enraged after Mr Sommerford and his two brothers had stepped in to break up a violent row between him and his girlfriend, he smashed his Renault Clio into the 24-year-old, shattering bones in both his legs and sending him flying 30ft into the air after a night out in Worthing, Chichester Crown Court was told.

Mr Sommerford is likely to suffer disability for the rest of his life, prosecutor Christine Laing said on the opening day of Twumasi's trial for attempted murder. He denies the charge.

Daniel's older brother Nathan, who lived in Worthing at the time, broke down in the witness box as he described the horrifying collision and told the jury he thought his brother had been killed.

He said Daniel, from Hove, had been standing in the middle of road in Marine Parade "like a matador or sumo wrestler" squaring up to the car after the confrontation, during which Twumasi threatened to shoot Nathan Sommerford.

"I remember hearing the revs of the engine as it was coming towards him," said Nathan Sommerford. "It wasn't slowing down. It just drove straight into him. Daniel had his hands out and flopped over the bonnet while his legs went under the car. He shot up into the air. I thought he was dead."

The court was told the brothers had all been out together drinking at Occassions nightclub on January 24. Nathan, 28, and Liam, 18, were walking back home west along the seafront at around 2am when they stepped-in to break up the argument between Twumasi and his girlfriend, the jury was told.

Nathan Sommerford said he saw Twumasi clip the girl across the top of the head and then lead her towards a car. When he stepped in to make sure she was alright he said Twumasi told him "I remember your face. Next time I'm up here, I'll shoot you in the face."

At that point Daniel joined his brothers. The court was told Daniel Sommerford punched the driver's side window, smashing the glass before Twumasi drove off "at speed".

Around 200 metres up the road he turned round.

Daniel Sommerford said he could recall little of what happened after that.

He told the court: "I can remember seeing the car go up the road as I am turning (towards the pavement). I then see it turn round and it starts to snake back down the road towards me. Then I see the front of the vehicle rear up. All I can remember then is seeing the tips of my fingers reaching out in front of me."

Daniel Sommerford landed 25 metres away from the point of impact outside Marks and Spencer in Marine Parade.He spent a month in hospital and still can only walk with the aid of crutches.

Mrs Laing, prosecuting, said the vehicle had been examined and there was no mechanical reason why it could not stop.

She said: "He (Twumasi) was already in a bit of a temper because he had not had a good night out and was agitated at the intervention.

"He said he would get a gun and shoot them (the Sommerford brothers) and then got into his car and drove off. Two hundred metres down the road he turned his car round and, using it as a weapon, drove at Mr Sommerford to kill him.

"The Crown say there would have been nothing to have stopped Twumasi seeing Daniel Sommerford and swerving to avoid him if he had wanted to."

She said Occassions door staff, including Jody Howell, rushed to the scene and tried to stop Twumasi leaving by grabbing the keys out of the ignition.

However, Mr Howell became trapped when the car did not stop and he was dragged eight metres up the road.

Walter Aylen, QC, defending, is expected to open the defence case for Twumasi today (Thursday).

He said the three brothers were terrorising Twumasi and had launched a tirade of racial abuse at him, kicking the side of his car and pounding the roof before he first drove away.

He claims Daniel Sommerford jumped in front of the moving car and Twumasi did not stop because he feared for his safety.

Twumasi drove in another car to Poole in Dorset, where his girlfriend's family lived, and went to the local police station where he was arrested on January 25.

The trial continues.