The trial of Saddam Hussein was today given the most detailed account yet of how the deposed Iraqi president and his inner circle allegedly sanctioned torture.

One witness described how guards at the intelligence services headquarters applied electric shocks to prisoners, and dripped molten plastic onto their naked bodies. He recalled how he and his family were tortured and beaten.

"A man would leave the cell on his feet and and come back thrown in a blanket," he said.

The chaotic trial, which has been dogged by delays, security fears and the murder of at least one defence lawyer, resumed in Baghdad this morning following a seven-day break for parliamentary elections.

Saddam, who has previously appeared combative in the dock - at one stage telling the judge to "Go to hell!" - was more muted today. He arrived on time dressed smartly and paid close attention to the proceedings, scribbling pages of notes.

Only once, after his request to halt proceedings for prayers was turned down, did the former dictator show a flash of defiance, swinging his black leather chair away to point towards Mecca for a minute of silent prayer.

Saddam and his co-defendants are being tried in connection with the deaths of 148 people from the Shia village of Dujail, north of Baghdad, on July 8, 1982. Prosecutors say Saddam ordered the killings in reprisal for a failed assassination.

The court today heard from five prosecution witnesses, the first of whom gave a calm and coherent account directly linking Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Saddam's half brother and his former intelligence chief, to the alleged abuse of prisoners.

Ali Hassen al-Haidari, one of the few witnesses to give evidence openly rather than from behind a screen, said that Barzan had been present when torture took place and had once kicked him as he lay in a hallway suffering from a fever.

Mr al-Haidari, 37, was 14 years old at the time of the Dujail killings. He said he was among the hundreds rounded up by Saddam's guards in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt.

He said he saw the bodies of nine friends at the local Ba'ath Party offices before he was transferred to the feared HQ of the intelligence department. There, he said, he witnessed the worst of the torture.

He said he saw prisoners lying untended with blood pouring from head wounds. Others had been subjected to such intense electric shocks that their skin had paled. Security officials would drip melted plastic onto detainees legs and chest, only to rip it off once cool tearing off the skin, he said.

"I cannot express all that suffering and pain we faced in the 70 days inside," he said.

The testimony provoked a clash with Barzan who, in an exchange that was largely edited from the televised feed, called the witness "a dog" and his dead brothers "rotten dogs."

"We ruled for 35 years," he said. "We were strong people, we were wolves. He is using black paint to darken our history. We gave you, the Iraqi people, dignity. You don’t have the dignity of Iraq," he said to the witness. "You have the dignity of other countries because you drank their milk."

Three guards surrounded the dock threatening to remove Barzan from the court. After a brief eyeball-to-eyeball encounter with one of the guards, Barzan said that he could only be ordered to leave by the judge, who allowed him to stay.

As the three guards retreated, one was heard to whisper: "I am going to beat you."

A second witness, giving evidence from behind a screen, said that Barzan "ate grapes" as he supervised torture sessions.

Three other witnesses were due to speak this afternoon before the trial was expected to be adjourned once more until mid January.

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