Just hours before Brazilian student Roberto Curti was allegedly assaulted by four NSW police in the Sydney CBD, he was screaming for police assistance while being bashed by three teenagers, a court has heard.
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Mr Curti, 21, died on Pitt Street, in Sydney's CBD, in the early hours of March 18, 2012, following a chase and a brief struggle with police in which he was allegedly Tasered, handcuffed, capsicum-sprayed and knelt on.
Following an investigation by the Police Integrity Commission, senior constables Eric Lim and Damien Ralph were charged with common assault, and Senior Constable Scott Edmondson and Constable Daniel Barling with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
On Tuesday, a CBD security guard working on the night of the incident told the trial of the four police officers that he saw the student being punched and kicked by three teenagers as he lay on the ground shouting for help.
"He was asking for help, 'Polici, Polici', continuously asking for help," Nurat Metin told the Downing Centre Local Court, speaking through an Assyrian interpreter.
"There were about three people going by but no one was helping," he said.
"Two of the teenagers were kicking him and the other person was hitting him with his fists when he was on the ground."
Mr Metin said when he came out of the building and told the teenagers to stop attacking the distressed, shirtless student, one of the attackers said "he stole my phone".
"I said, 'well if he stole your phone we should call the police' and the teenager says 'no, I got it back' and I said 'well stop bashing him then'," Mr Metin continued.
The teenagers left, Mr Metin said, but when he turned back to Mr Curti and asked him if he needed an ambulance "he suddenly stood up and ran towards King Street".
Another security guard, Matthew Gander, said he also saw Mr Curti being attacked and then run away.
He later told police the young man "had cuts all over his body" and had tried to get into a taxi, but the driver refused to let him in.
The court has previously heard that a few hours after the alleged attack by the teenagers, a street sweeper called triple zero and reported that Mr Curti had leapt over the counter of a convenience store and stolen two packets of Tim Tams.
Police gave chase and then forcibly arrested the 21-year-old, allegedly Tasering him eight times while he was in handcuffs, and spraying him with capsicum spray.
Prosecutors allege this amounted to "excessive, unnecessary and unlawful force".
The hearing continues.
