Martin Dines murder: Trio deny killing homeless man

Martin Dines suffered a brain injury in the attack, as well as broken ribs and cuts to his forehead, nose, ears and genitals

A homeless man who died after a "prolonged and sustained attack" had 73 different injuries, a court heard.

The body of Martin Dines, 56, was found in a stairwell of St Mary's multi-storey car park in Colchester in April.

Heidi Kennedy, 47, of Queen Elizabeth Way, Colchester, Darren Miller, 46, of no fixed address, and Mark Hartley, 32, of New Kiln Road, Colchester, deny murder. Mr Miller admits manslaughter.

The trial, at Ipswich Crown Court, is expected to last up to five weeks.

Opening for the prosecution, Simon Spence QC said that all three defendants had assaulted Mr Dines on three separate occasions over the course of one evening.

The court heard he had been kicked, punched and stamped upon from around 20:30 BST on 22 April until 01:45 the next day in a "prolonged and sustained attack" before being left "dying or dead".

Mr Dines was found dead in the stairwell of St Mary's car park in Colchester

The beatings left Mr Dines, who was a known beggar, with broken ribs and a brain injury as well as cuts to his forehead, nose, ears and genitals.

Mr Spence added that at one point, the victim - who was four times the legal drink-drive limit when he died - was accused of being "a false Para", in what appeared to be a dispute about Army service.

The trial continues.