Four on trial over flat '˜assault'

The four intruders, who arrived armed with weapons, entered the first floor flat in Trinity Street in the town in broad daylight.

Stephen Evans, prosecuting, told the jury two of the occupants of the flat Ramunas Kaleckas and Algis Likso were smoking and chatting with a friend in the stairwell outside the flat.

Mr Evans told the jury “They had not been there long when the front door opened and a group of males came up the stairs.

“At the front was a male armed with a pole of sorts. Ramunas Kaleckas ran towards his flat pursued by the males.

“He was hit to the back of the head with a weapon. He was stabbed. He tried to defend himself as best he could. He received cuts to his hands and his arms. They were defensive injuries.

“As a result of the assault he had multiple stab wounds to his chest and stab wounds to his abdomen.

“Algis Likso saw the men come up the stairs. He turned to run.”

Mr Evans said that Mr Likso was then attacked and stabbed with a broken golf club before losing consciousness.

Both men were left bleeding from their injuries as their attackers fled from the scene before police arrived in response to an emergency call.

The attackers are alleged to have later driven to an address in Boston arriving covered in blood. Their clothes were allegedly put into a washing machine and the car was cleaned out.

Four men each deny two charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on 12 September 2015. They are Andris Apstis, 36, of no fixed address; Mark Gidevic, 27, of Granville Street, Boston; Aleksandr Kudriasov, 40, of Glen Drive, Boston; and Andrej Kiselov, 39, of Tattershall Road, Boston.

All four men together with Marina Erte, 32, of Glen Drive, Boston, also deny a charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by cleaning items of clothing.

The trial, which is expected to last a number of weeks, continues.