THE case against a 22-year-old accused of an attack which left a man needing emergency brain surgery collapsed yesterday.

At the end of the prosecution evidence against Jordan Ahier, the Deputy Bailiff, Michael Birt, ordered the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.

He was responding to an application from Advocate David Cadin, for Ahier, that there was no case to answer because of insufficient evidence.

Mr Birt agreed with the submission and ordered the defendant to be released.

In his opening remarks, Crown Advocate Julian Gollop had told the jury that there was no forensic evidence against Ahier.

Ahier had been accused of grave and criminal assault in connection with an attack on Liam Whorriskey (26) on the Esplanade at around 2.45 am on 27 September 2003.

He had denied the charge.

Mr Whorriskey, a manager at B & Q, was left so badly beaten that he needed reconstructive surgery to rebuild his cheeks and has one eye lower than the other.

He suffered a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain.