TWO men have gone on trial accused of murdering a 23-year-old university graduate from Tyldesley on a street in Manchester.

David Allan was allegedly attacked on Wythenshawe Road in Northenden in the early hours of June 4 this year when on the way back to his home from Tesco.

He suffered severe head injuries and died the following day.

This week at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square Joseph Stott, 34, and Aiden Matthews, 31, went on trial accused of being the two people responsible.

Matthews, of Lawton Moore Road in Wythenshaw and Stott, of Hampshire Road in Partington, deny murder.

Prosecutor Nick Johnson QC outlined the case against the pair.

He said: "At about 5.45pm in the early evening of June 4 this year a 23-year-old university graduate was beaten to death while on his way home on Wythenshawe Road in the Northenden area of Manchester.

"His attackers were these two defendants.

"The first defendant Aiden Matthews used what looked like it was a metal pole or an Olympic metal torch.

"The second defendant Joseph Stott was kicking, both men attacked their victim together when he was lying in his back on the ground."

He said there had been four steps leading up to the attack.

The court was told the first of these took place at 5.15pm when Mr Allan was outside Tesco when a youngster approached him and did a wheelie. Mr Allan pushed him over.

When he came ought of Tesco a woman in a car was shouting at him and later followed him up the street with three boys.

Following this they came across a transit van which stopped opposite the car, whose driver the prosecutor said was Matthews.

The window was wound down and he was told Mr Allan had hit one of the boys.

Mr Johnson said Matthews reversed into him and then "followed him turning right onto Northcroft Road" before getting out and along with "the boys and possibly others continued to fight David Allan".

"Mr Allan managed to land at least one punch, possibly defending himself" and Matthews was seen bleeding.

The third stage, Mr Johnson said, involved Matthews leaving, meeting up with Stott and then going to look for Allan in the transit van.

The prosecutor said the vehicle "can be seen driving urgently and recklessly as it makes it's way towards Wythenshawe Road".

He said: "The prosecution say this shows an unambiguous and wilful quest."

He added during the "final and fatal" stage an eyewitness alleges she the two men attack Mr Allan while he was on the ground with Matthews delivering "five or six heavy blows" with that she thought was a dumbbell, with Stott kicking him eight times.

He went on to say what the pair had told the police.

Stott, he said, had initially denied any involvement, but when questioned a second time said he had been trying to hold Matthews back, but admitted one push when Allan tried to get back up.

Matthews, he said, was interviewed multiple times after handing himself in knowing there was a warrant out for his arrest.

At one point he said Allan had hit him 20 times.

The court also heard that Stott cut his dreadlocks in the aftermath and the weapon has never been recovered.

Allan, who graduated from Plymouth University, had been working in WH Smith in Manchester Royal Infirmary during the pandemic.

The prosecution is expected to call on 12 eye witnesses.

The trial before Judge Richard Field and a jury of seven men and five women, continues.