A ROSSENDALE man who viciously beat a clubber as celebrations after England's Euro 2000 win over Germany turned sour failed to have his sentence overturned.

Paul Haslam, of Wood Lea Road, Waterfoot, was convicted at Burnley Crown Court in January last year of inflicting grievous bodily harm on David Barnes. Four months later the 30-year-old was given a three year jail term.

His barrister, Simon Temple, told three appeal court judges his conviction was "unsafe" because it emerged at the trial that three defence witnesses were shown the statements of prosecution witnesses as evidence was being gathered.

Mr Temple argued that, although the three saw the statements after they had prepared their own statements, the jury may have wrongly concluded the defence witnesses had "tailored" their evidence.

But Mr Justice Field, who heard the case with Lord Justice Mantell and Judge Colin Colston QC, said there was no reason to conclude the conviction was unsafe. "This matter has to be put in its right perspective," he said. "It was a small part of the trial.

"We think that it was a matter for the jury as to whether the defence witnesses gave their evidence 'fresh' and it was one of many things they had to consider.

"They reached the verdict that the defendant was guilty, and we are unable to conclude that verdict was unsafe."

The judge told the court how the incident happened in the early hours of the morning following England's 1-0 win over Germany at Euro 2000.

Haslam had been drinking in Waterfoot's Club Royale, and had seen a friend of Mr Barnes, Gordon Smith, dancing wildly and bumping into people.

When he saw him outside the club he abused him and a fight broke out, and Mr Barnes pulled Mr Smith away and tried to put him in a taxi. The next thing he was aware of, Mr Barnes told the police, was that someone struck him from behind and he fell on the floor.

As he tried to get up he was kicked unconscious, and the subsequent blows to his head resulted in him sustaining five fractures of the skull and bruising. Since the incident he has had depression, blurred vision and headaches.