A MAN slumped dying in the back seat of a stalled car as it was being attacked by a mob, the High Court in Glasgow was told yesterday.

A friend of the dead man told a murder trial jury he had seen a man ``slashing and stabbing'' into the rear of the car with a sword. Mr Martin Ingram, 24, claimed that the swordsman was 23-year-old George Boyce.

Mr Ingram said he had got out of the two-door car to confront the mob and had to dive in through a smashed side window to escape.

``Chick was lying slumped forward. He was unconscious and I don't think he was alive when we got to the hospital,'' he told Mr Michael O'Grady, prosecuting.

The court heard that the driver, 23-year-old Peter McGilloway, had his skull fractured by an axe, and Mr Ingram's 31-year-old brother, Derek, was struck on the arm with a hatchet.

In the dock with Mr Boyce are his 20-year-old brother, Graeme, both of Kingston Road, and Mr Thomas McGrath, 23, of Craig Road, all Neilston, Renfrewshire.

They deny stabbing and murdering 39-year-old Charlie McCarthy, of Cross Arthurlie Street, Barrhead, in Kingston Road on May 5.

All deny attempting to murder Mr McGilloway with an axe and assaulting and injuring the Ingram brothers with weapons.

It is alleged they were part of an armed riotous mob which attacked the four men while they were seated in the car, and which smashed all the windows.

The jury heard the night of mayhem started when Mr McGilloway and Mr Graeme Boyce arranged to have a ``square go'' over a woman, Ms Vicky McIntyre, with whom they both had relationships.

When the car with Mr McGilloway and his three friends arrived at the scene the mob attacked with weapons including a hatchet, a long handled axe, a sword, poles and what was alleged was a firearm.

Mr Martin Ingram told the advocate-depute he got out to confront the mob, saw Mr George Boyce stabbing and slashing into the back seat where Mr McCarthy was seated and he dived back in.

He alleged he saw Mr McGrath with an axe and Mr Graeme Boyce with some other kind of weapon in his hand during the attack.

Questioned by Mr Alistair Campbell, for Mr George Boyce, he denied jumping out the car with a sword in his hand and that after he dropped it the accused picked it up.

He agreed he got out to confront the mob, shouted at them and picked up an iron bar which was lying on the ground.

The trial before Lord Weir continues.