he is still suffering from dizziness and memory loss almost nine months after being attacked.

Four Star Pizza owner Frederick William Thomas, 58, was the only person to take the stand during the first day of the trial against Shannon Tucker, 20, of Broken Hill Lane, Smith's Parish who allegedly attacked him on October 24 in Devil's Hole.

The Smith's man had previously pleaded not guilty to using threatening words, causing grievous bodily harm and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon -- a bottle and a boat engine part.

Thomas told the court that since the incident he had been forced to seek help from two overseas doctors and change his lifestyle completely.

He said he had lost some of the vision in his left eye and when he was working on roofs for his construction business he felt like he was going to fall.

Thomas told the court he was driving home in his van at about 6.35 p.m. on October 24 and passed the Harrington Sound Workmen's Club at Devil's Hole where he saw three youths on the club's porch surrounded by beer bottles and engine parts.

As he was the club's president at the time, he said, he parked his van on the opposite side of the road and walked across to the club and asked the youths to turn their radio down so he could speak to them.

After he asked them a second time, he continued, they turned their music down and he told them he would appreciate it if they would clear up their beer bottles and engine parts when they left.

One of the men walked away but Tucker became abusive, started shouting and then spat in his face, said Thomas.

"I told him I wasn't looking for trouble and he did it again.'' He said Tucker then punched the left side of his face.

"I told him `I'm not going to fight you but I will go to the Police and press an assault charge against you'.'' Thomas said he was walking back across the street to his van when Tucker hit him from behind on the right side of his face.

He said he tried to restrain Tucker who "tried to kick me four to six times in my privates'' and kept throwing punches at him.

Thomas stressed that he kept trying to block Tucker's blows and kept circling him to avoid being hit.

He said he managed to get back to his van where he opened its door to get in but Tucker kicked it shut and hit him again so he went back in to the middle of the road.

He said Tucker then picked up a bottle and threw it at his face, adding that it hit him on the side of his head and cut his temple open.

Thomas said Tucker kept trying to punch and kick him while his friends -- who had gathered around -- were cheering him on.

He said Tucker then told him, "I'm gonna f**k you up real good this time,'' and reached into his back pocket and brought out a shiny metal object which he "clubbed'' him with.

Tucker hit him on the side of the head, continued Thomas, and he fell to the ground and clutched his head.

The object Tucker had used to hit him in the head dropped to the ground near him so he grabbed it for evidence, added Thomas.

A passerby intervened and stopped the fight at this point and he managed to get into his van and drive away, he said.

However Tucker made an attempt to grab the object from his van, said Thomas, but he managed to wind his window up and get away.

He said he called his son Marico and the Police on his cellular phone when he got to Darrell and Seaman and then carried on to the hospital where he was treated.

Magistrate Cheryl Ann-Mapp adjourned the trial until July 19.

Sgt. Kendrick James is appearing for the prosecution and lawyer Richard Hector representing Tucker.

Thomas is due to face private prosecution on July 31 from Tucker who claims he was the one who was assaulted during the incident.