Two brothers were stabbed in an "unprovoked" attack in Belfast city centre, with one blinded after nearly losing his life, a jury heard yesterday.
The Belfast Crown Court jury also heard it is unlikely that Mark Keller will ever regain his sight after the attack in the early hours of November 6th, 2005.
Opening the case, prosecuting QC Philip Mateer said that 20-year-old Alan Stewart, from Finnis Close and Adam Smyth (19), from Bests Hill, both Belfast, were allegedly identified as the attackers from eyewitness accounts, CCTV footage and from forensic evidence.
Both men deny trying to kill Mr Keller as well as further charges of wounding and inflicting actual bodily harm on his brother Anthony Keller.
The brothers from Killyleagh were attacked outside the Northern Bank on Donegall Square West after they had been out socialising with friends in the nearby Sky nightclub, however, as Mr Mateer commented, "tragically, Belfast was the wrong choice on this occasion".
He said the Keller brothers and their two friends were on their way to get a taxi when they ran into Smyth, Stewart and a third man not before the court, 28-year-old Philip Irwin from Castle Street in Newtonards.
The lawyer said after a "collision" on the street, Smyth allegedly tells Mark Keller to "watch where you're going fatso" but that the first assault does not begin until Anthony Keller is standing by himself at a nearby phonebox.
His brother Mark and the two friends with them then go back to help Anthony - and Mark Keller then receives the stab wounds which nearly kill him.
Video evidence will show Mark fending off Smyth before he is stabbed, said Mr Mateer.
While Mark was lying "defenceless" on the ground, Smyth allegedly continues to kick at him whilst holding a knife.
The knife was uncovered in a nearby bin, the jury heard, and after the attack, a taxi driver allegedly heard Smyth say "I done my bit - I got my boot in" and could see that Stewart's distinctive striped jumper was "covered in blood". Fragments of a DNA profile consistent with Smyth's was found on the knife, the jury was told.
Mark was stabbed twice in the chest and lost so much blood suffered a heart attack "and doctors had to struggle to keep him alive".
When he regained consciousness doctors realised he was blind. "He was very seriously ill for the next few weeks and indeed, very likely to die as a result of this condition arising from what was an unprovoked attack on him when he was up in the city centre with friends for a simple night out."
The lawyer said as Mark Keller lay on the ground, Anthony "actually runs at Stewart" but is then allegedly attacked again by both Smyth and Stewart.
". . . at one point, you can see Mr Smyth appearing to draw his foot back to kick someone on the ground".
Mr Mateer claimed that after the alleged attack, Smyth and Stewart were heard to be "bragging as having knocked the f*** out of some boy".
"We say that was Mark Keller," said Mr Mateer. Both men were arrested and questioned about the stabbing incident and although each accepted they had been in the area the time, both denied using a knife. The trial, expected to last two weeks, continues.