Basil Hassell told a Supreme Court jury yesterday how he "fought for his life" while being attacked by two men during a break-in.

The 65-year-old described how the pair rained kicks and punches on him, breaking his jaw, while demanding money during the burglary at his nephew Donald Hassell's house in Cambridge Road, Sandys, in December 2001.

He was giving evidence in the trial of Derrick Duval Binns, 34, of George's Bay Road, Sandys, who denies burglary and wounding with intent to disfigure.

Another man, Roddelle Lightbourne, has already pleaded guilty in relation to the incident, the trial heard on Monday.

Mr. Hassell was alone in the house at the time of the attack as his nephew was off the Island on a cruise.

He said he was sleeping on a sofa but was awakened at around 6 a.m. on December 29 by the sound of a door opening. When he went to investigate, he was surprised to see two men hiding behind a cabinet.

"That's when the guys jumped me. When I saw them, I was so shocked to see someone in the house that my arms were open and one jumped right at me," he told the jury.

"One came at me and pushed me to the ground. We struggled and fought for a bit. The guy that held me down managed to get behind my back and kept asking his mate for help.

"He had his arm around my neck to choke me. That's when more blows and kicks were inflicted.

"They were coming in so fast I couldn't tell how many were coming. (They were to) the upper part of my stomach, my chest and my face.

"They were black and blue when they finished. When they let me up, they asked me about the money. I told them I would show them where the money was.

"The only money I knew about was in my pouch. When I stood up, for about five or ten minutes, they asked me where the money was, and I said it was in the pouch, that I would show them where the pouch was.

"I never did get to show them where the pouch was. They just dumped me on the floor and left me."

Mr. Hassell, who said he took about $300 out of the bank on the day before the attack, later described how he tried to put his hand up and choke the man who was holding him from behind.

He described one of his attackers as having a ginger moustache and the other being darker.

Under cross-examination from Binns' lawyer, Craig Attridge, who said Mr. Hassell had told Police he was "dazed", the victim said: "I was fighting for my life."

He said one of the attackers stole his watch, saying: "You don't need a watch where you're going".

Mr. Hassell said his jaw had not recovered from the attack, which resulted in him being kept in hospital for three weeks.

He was unable to eat a cheeseburger without squashing it, and he now has a beard because one side of his face is deformed.

Mr. Hassell became upset when Mr. Attridge pushed him on whether there were two men involved in the attack.

"There were two guys in the house. If it wasn't two, there must have been a shadow in the house," he said.

Asked by Mr. Attridge if he recalled telling Police in his original statement that he didn't know if the shorter man who was behind him was inflicting the blows, Mr. Hassell said "most probably".

He also recalled saying to Police he didn't recall how it happened because it all happened so quickly.

But under-re-examination from Crown counsel Vinette Graham-Allen, Mr. Hassell agreed he had said this in the context of falling to the ground after he was grabbed around the neck by one of the men.

Mr. Hassell also agreed that he had never told Police in his initial statements that he was on his feet at some point.

Mr. Attridge said: "A lot of what you are telling us today is an attempt to fill in the gaps in your statement."

Pointing at his own head, Mr. Hassell angrily replied: "No sir. I have it right here. What they did to me I'll have for the rest of my life."

The trial continues today.