Three police officers launched a "cowardly" attack on a driver who died minutes later at the kerbside of a road in Oxford, an Old Bailey jury has been told.

Robin Goodenough was chased by a police van before being allegedly attacked

Robin Goodenough had been disqualified from driving at Oxford Magistrates' Court on the same day he was spotted at the wheel of his sister's Vauxhall Astra by police travelling in a Transit van, said Aftab Jafferjee, opening the case against the officers.

They pursued him into Alma Place, a dead end street.

"From the time officers were at his driver's door, to the time he was handcuffed and under arrest and seated on the roadside, was just one minute," Mr Jafferjee told the jury yesterday.

"In that short period of time he received punches to his face and was pulled out of the vehicle so violently he landed on his chin."

The jury heard the impact was so forceful that his teeth were dislodged, the bone bridge to which they were attached was fractured and his lips were cut.

There was so much blood that it went into his throat, affecting his breathing.

"One of the officers then called an ambulance but it was then too late," added Mr Jafferjee.

Mr Goodenough, who was 26, was pronounced dead shortly after 1am on September 27, 2003, the court heard.

Mr Jafferjee said Mr Goodenough was addicted to lighter fluid and had inhaled the substance before he had driven the car.

He said Mr Goodenough, who died from heart failure, had been unable to cope with what was happening because of his addiction.

Police constables Robin Shane, 32, Paul Summerville 26, and John Shatford, 33, have denied manslaughter and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The officers -- all from the Thames Valley force -- were among nine in the Transit van when they chased Mr Goodenough, who was in the car with his sister and her boyfriend.

Police believed the vehicle might have been stolen.

A radio message announcing they were about to give chase was played to the court and the apparent sound of officers cheering could be heard. "That might give you an insight into the mindset of the officers in the van," commented Mr Jafferjee.

"A chase was on. It was gone midnight and there was an appeal attached to it."

The court was told that, as Mr Goodenough's car came to a halt in Alma Place, Pc Summerville called out: "It's a dead-end. It's possibly a de-camp."

Mr Jafferjee explained: "The officer meant he thought the occupants of the car could run away.

"By then everyone in the police van knew that there was nowhere further for the Astra to travel.

"This is significant," Mr Jafferjee argued, "especially when claims are to be made that these officers' hostile actions were supposed to be prompted by concerns that he may drive off and injure them.

"After he stopped, Mr Goodenough had removed his seatbelt to attempt to get into the back seat to pretend he was a passenger in the car -- something his sister was familiar with as an old trick of his."

Mr Jafferjee said: "While these officers may have had legitimate grounds to want to arrest him, what they did was to participate in a particularly cowardly assault on the driver who, apart from not getting out of his seat, did absolutely nothing to anyone.

"He was subjected to a beating," he added.

The officers punched him because they feared he would drive the car into their colleagues when he refused to get out, the prosecuting barrister said.

He was eventually handcuffed and placed under arrest.

Mr Jafferjee said the defence would argue that any violence was lawful self-defence.

But he claimed that explanation was contrived and false.

The court also heard that witnesses had seen Mr Goodenough being kicked by police officers.

The court was also told that Mr Goodenough was a persistent petty criminal with a string of convictions mainly for unlawfully taking cars and driving offences.

He had been in prison on remand less than a day earlier, before his court appearance.

Sentences passed on him in the few years before his death ranged from probation to two short terms of imprisonment.

As well as his lighter fuel addiction, Mr Goodenough had taken ecstasy when he could afford it, Mr Jafferjee added.

The trial continues.