A young ballet star feared his career was over when his neck was broken after being mugged for his mobile phone, a court heard.
Royal Bern Ballet dancer Jack Widdowson, from Bath, faced spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair after he was robbed in a vicious attack on a night out.
Mohammed Mohamoed, 28, denies attempted murder, and two alternative charges of grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grevious bodily harm.
A jury was shown a video interview with Mr Widdowson, 20, as he lay in a hospital bed wearing a neck brace after the attack.
He told police: "I have a broken neck, that's going to have to have a hell of a lot of rehab and physio to get back to where I was.
"I've been told I'll make a full recovery and that's what I want to do – I just want to put this whole thing behind me."
Mr Widdowson, an apprentice with the Royal Bern Ballet in Switzerland, was attacked while visiting his brother who is studying at Cardiff University.
Giving evidence through a video link he said: "He picked up my phone and walked off, I was on the floor, he stole my phone, I don't remember anything else."
The trial continues.
