A jury heard yesterday (Weds) how hairdresser Marcus Sewell-Fletcher was discovered injured inside his smoke-filled Lindley salon by his landlord’s son.

Rupinder Sohta described in a statement read to the jury at Leeds Crown Court going to the premises in Acre Street to about 9.10am to remove a broken pane of glass for replacement after noticing it smashed earlier on February 18.

He was surprised to discover the salon unlocked and when he opened the door was “hit by a cloud of thick black smoke”.

Inside he found Mr Fletcher on a sofa, struggling to breath, his face was swollen as if he had been beaten and he was also black from the smoke.

Although he said not to call for a police or ambulance Mr Sohta said he did get his sister to call for help.

Mr Fletcher was taken to Leeds General Infirmary. He was found to have a fractured eye socket, 10 rib fractures on the right side of his chest and nine to the left.

Joshua Gibbon, 25, of Quarmby Road, and Aaron Holroyd, 24 of Briarlyn Road, Birchencliffe each deny causing him grievous bodily harm with intent, attempting to murder him and arson being reckless whether other lives would be endangered.

Earlier taxi driver David Akbar said he picked Mr Fletcher up from outside the Bay Horse about 1.30am. He was drunk and he drove him to a garage for some cans of lager.

When he stopped back near the pub two young lads tried to open the passenger door.

Mr Akbar said he did not want them in his car because they were carrying bottles but Mr Fletcher wanted him to pick them up to take them to his home.

He refused and after driving a short distance Mr Fletcher got out and walked towards his salon.

Law student Siobhan Smith said she was returning home “completely legless” around 2.30am and noticed lights on in the salon. She also saw Aaron Holroyd nearby and thought he said “Hi” to her.

Andrew Thomas QC defending Holroyd suggested he had told her “Gibbo had just hit Marcus” in the salon and that as a result of that Marcus had fallen down the stairs.

“I don’t remember any of that,” she said.

Holroyd’s girlfriend Jade Thompson said when he arrived at her home in the early hours Aaron had blood on his nose saying he too had been punched by Gibbon and was crying when he explained what had happened saying he had left Gibbon in the salon.

The trial continues.