Saddam Hussein today boycotted his own trial, refusing to attend court and causing a lengthy delay before proceedings resumed without him.

The 68-year-old former Iraqi president, who yesterday denounced the court as a sham before telling the judge to "Go to hell", today refused point blank to enter the dock.

Judges and lawyers spent around six hours attempting to cajole the toppled leader into resuming his position alongside his seven co-defendants.

At 3pm (1200GMT), after consulting lawyers on the legal technicalities of proceeding in the absence of the key defendant, Judge Rizgar Amin decided to push ahead anyway.

Under the terms of existing Iraqi law the trial could continue to completion in his absence, but analysts question the value of a show trial without its star turn.

Saddam's seat at the front of the penned-in dock remained empty as the first of two eyewitnesses to the alleged 1982 massacre in Dujail, which followed an assassination attempt on Saddam, stood behind a beige curtain to give evidence.

The man, whose identity is being kept secret, said that he was arrested after the assassination attempt and taken to the local headquarters of the ruling Baath party, where he found people "screaming because of the beatings". The witness said that Barazan Ibrahim, Saddam’s half brother and co-defendant, was present.

"When my turn came, the investigator asked me my name and he turned to Barazan and asked him ‘what we shall do with him?’ Barazan replied: ‘Take him. He might be useful.’ We were almost dead because of the beatings."

The witness said he was transferred to Baghdad in a windowless, crowded van.

He said: "When we arrived at the building they asked us to stand along the wall. We were told to stand only on one foot and we kept on this position for two hours before we were taken to cells with red walls. I was thirsty but the water was very hot."

The witness said: "We were kept handcuffed for five days with little food and very hot water. They used to take some persons and bring them back naked. The signs of torture were clear on their bodies."

Saddam's failure to attend court is the latest snag in a trial that has been plagued by delays, faulty equipment and angry outbursts. Two defence lawyers have been murdered and a third has fled since it opened on October, and security officers have uncovered plots to kill the judges and bomb the courtroom.

Khalil Dulaimi - who is representing Saddam - today requested a meeting with court officials to discuss security for his team, two of whom have been killed.

The request came after 20 gunmen stormed a prison hospital in Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, and released an injured detainee who was being cared for under guard over an alleged plot to assassinate Raed Juhi, the investigative judge leading Saddam's prosecution.

The defendants, who have all pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and torture, face the death penalty if convicted.

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