A hairdresser told a jury he had little memory of the night he was beaten up in his Lindley salon before two fires were started on the premises.

Marcus Sewell-Fletcher said he could not identify his attacker or attackers and did not know if more than one person was involved.

Giving evidence from behind a curtain at Leeds Crown Court, he told Peter Moulson QC he preferred to be called Mr Fletcher.

He said after tidying up when his last client left on February 17 he went for a drink at the Bay Horse public house near his Acre Street salon.

He was drinking lager and said he did not recall leaving the Bay Horse.

His next recollection was being downstairs in his salon on the floor with his head trapped between an old safe, left behind when the premises were previously Barclays Bank, and the metal footrest of a spare hairdressing chair.

“I just remember some blows to the head, the sound, the dull sound,” he said. “There were two blows ‘then I was out.’”

His next recollection was not until his landlord’s son found him the next morning.

Mr Fletcher said: “It is very vague, I just remember him standing there, then the next thing is waking up in hospital.”

The jury has heard he had numerous rib fractures and a fracture to his eye socket.

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Joshua Gibbon, 25 of Quarmby Road, Quarmby and Aaron Holroyd, 24 of Briarlyn Road, Birchencliffe, both deny causing him grievous bodily harm with intent on February 18, attempting to murder him by starting two fires at the salon, and arson being reckless whether the life of others was endangered.

Christopher Tehrani QC, representing Gibbon, asked Mr Fletcher in cross-examination if he accepted he was very drunk by the end of the evening.

“I wouldn’t have said very drunk because I was working the next day,” he replied.

Mr Tehrani asked; “Did you ask any young men you met in the pub to meet you back at your hairdressing premises to continue drinking.”

Mr Fletcher said he would not have asked them to the salon but he would have returned himself for his bag and other items.

“Do you remember being sexually provocative with one of them,” asked Mr Tehrani.

Mr Fletcher said: “No, and I know I wouldn’t be, he is far too young.”

He denied asking which of them would perform oral sex on him at the salon and trying to grab the penis of one saying: “I did not do that, that is so out of character.”

He said blood pressure tablets meant he was not “horny”.

Under cross-examination by Andrew Thomas QC for Holroyd, Mr Fletcher said he did not remember making his way back up to the ground floor where he was found or using a fire extinguisher to put out the fires.

“With 24 broken ribs I couldn’t do anything,” he said.

The trial continues.