by Danny Boyle

A drinker was knocked unconscious in an attack outside a trendy beachfront club, a court heard.

Andrew Rumball was celebrating his girlfriend Samantha Lucas’s birthday when he was assaulted at the Whitstable Brewery Bar, jurors were told.

He needed an operation to insert metal plates in his jaw after allegedly being repeatedly punched by 30-year-old Jonathan O’Brien.

Andrew’s brother Michael told Canterbury Crown Court he found him on the ground with blood pouring out of his mouth.

The court heard Michael had earlier been punched in the face by O’Brien’s friend Glenn Brough, 26, on the dancefloor.

He suffered blurred vision because of a bleed in his eye, adding: "It was like being blind for a week."

Hannah Kinch, prosecuting, said Samantha celebrated her birthday at Whitsable’s Waterfont Club with friends and family members on Saturday, December 11, 2010.

She and her boyfriend Andrew Rumball, his brother Michael and girlfriend Carly Munnz as well as Samantha’s sister Nicola Lucas moved to the Whitstable Brewery Bar at about 1am.

The group were "merry" when they arrived and downed several sambuca shots at the club.

Miss Kinch said Brough walked over to Michael and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground, in an unprovoked attack.

The defendants were asked to leave the club and Michael’s brother Andrew went outside to find Brough.

It is claimed Andrew was then punched in the face by O’Brien, who is also said to have shoved Carly, who fell and scraped her knee.

Jurors were told O’Brien carried on punching Andrew – despite him being unconscious on the ground.

Nicola intervened, but is said to have been knocked to the floor by O’Brien.

The Rumball brothers were taken to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury.

Andrew suffered two jaw fractures and later underwent an operation to fit titanium plates and screws.

Michael suffered a large haemorrhage in his right eye – triggered by diabetic enteropathy – and bruising on his head and hip as well as a cut around his eye.

He told jurors the first thing he remembered was standing above his brother outside the club.

Michael said: "Andrew was laying on his side with blood coming out of his mouth. He looked in a pretty bad way.

"I was really worried, angry and confused. I didn’t understand what was going on."

O’Brien, of Paffard Close, Sturry, denies inflicting grievous bodily harm on Andrew and two common assaults on Nicola and Carly.

Brough, of Nelson Road, Whitstable, denies assault causing actual bodily harm on Michael.

Brough told police he was acting in self-defence as he had seen the brothers laughing at him and feared they might attack.

He said he punched Michael in the face because he approached him with his fists raised.

O’Brien claimed in a police interview he punched Andrew to stop him from attacking Brough.

The trial continues.