Partygoer 'got up to dance after paralysing girl'

A drugged-up reveller who left a girl paralysed after leaping off a nightclub balcony and landing on top of her immediately got up and started dancing afterwards, an eyewitness told a court today.

Philip Brady, 24, who had downed a huge quantity of alcohol and two to three ecstasy pills as he celebrated his birthday, crashed on top of beautician Lorraine Mack, leaving her paralysed from the neck down.

She is now a tetraplegic, needs constant medical care and will never be able to walk again after a night out at Pacha nightclub in Victoria, central London, with her boyfriend in March 2004.

Immediately afterwards, 6ft 3ins tall Brady, who was at least twice over the legal drink/drive limit, got up and tried to start dancing before he collapsed, Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court heard.

In a statement given as prosecution evidence, Charles Collingwood-Boots said: "This male appeared to get up off the floor next to the girl.

"He appeared to try and dance around again before he slumped back on his front. He appeared to be knocked out for around five seconds. I noticed that the girl was still knocked out on her back."

Brady later told police that he had drunk seven pints, a bottle of Stella, a vodka and coke and had taken between two and three ecstasy tablets.

Police forensic expert Dr Christopher Brownstone said the defendant "had taken two or three ecstasy tablets and he had been drinking alcoholic liquor since 6.30pm."

Professor John Henry, a medical toxicologist at Imperial College, told the court that Brady would have been two or three times over the drink drive limit by the time of the tragedy.

He said: "He had taken sixteen units of alcohol. At around 1am a man of average build would have had 200 milligramms of alcohol to every 100 millilitres of blood. That is between two and three times the legal limit for driving."

The professor added there was no evidence to suggest ecstasy altered the effects of alcohol.

Brady, of Harrow, north-west London, denies causing grievous bodily harm.

The trial continues.

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