Oxford United footballer Ross Weatherstone and three friends hurled racial abuse at a taxi driver and grabbed him around the throat during a fare dispute, a court heard.

The alleged abuse, described as "drunken behaviour", escalated and ended with the taxi driver, Zafrad Naeem, crashing his car and collapsing unconscious.

Weatherstone, 19, Gareth Evans, 22, Carl Walker, 25, and Robin Antonowicz, 19, who plays for AFC Wallingford, deny charges of racially aggravated threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour. The court heard the four men shouted out of the open window and became abusive to pedestrians. Witnesses told police the men were shouting racist insults.

Mr Naeem, 22, told the court: "All I can recall after the crash is that the taxi was on its side and two of them had got out and were kicking the window in."

The self-employed cabbie said the group then ran off, but police, who were already in the area, called them back and arrested them.

He said: "I was concerned for my life and I still have trouble sleeping at night. I am now reluctant to pick people up from the railway station." After the incident, which happened in Caversham, Berkshire, on January 23, the taxi was a write-off.

The case continues.