A MAN accused of beating someone over the head and leaving him with a fractured skull in his flat for two days has been cleared by a jury. Prosecutors at Plymouth Crown Court had claimed that James Lawson, 25, had broken into the resident's flat at night, demanded drugs and then struck him with a Maglite torch. During the trial, the jury heard how the injured man — Gary Harvey — drifted in and out of consciousness, repeatedly vomiting, until he was discovered two days later at his flat in Ford Street, Tavistock. Mr Lawson, of no fixed address, repeatedly denied the charge of aggravated burglary and grievous bodily harm on December 22 last year, insisting the attack was carried out by another man. The court heard that Mr Harvey was asleep when he was awoken by someone kicking down his door at about 2am on December 22. He was not found until about 2.30pm on Christmas Eve. Brian Fitzherbert, for the Crown Prosecution Service, told the jury that Mr Harvey told police he recognised Mr Lawson and later picked his image from a video identification parade. Mr Harvey said he knew Mr Lawson as a frequent visitor to a neighbour's flat. He added that he had also spent time in Mr Harvey's own flat. Mr Harvey said his attacker had demanded amphetamine and that he was threatened with violence if he told anyone of the incident. Taking to the witness stand Mr Harvey said it was the last thing he remembered before he 'blacked out'. His next memory was waking up in 'a pool of blood'. Mr Lawson, giving evidence, said he was living with his parents in Mount Ford, Tavistock, last December. He admitted that he spent the night drinking with friends in Mr Harvey's neighbour's flat. Mr Lawson said he was in the town centre with three or four friends at the time of the assault at 2am. He told the jury he never saw Mr Harvey on the night he was attacked. The jury accepted Mr Lawson's evidence and returned not guilty verdicts on both counts.