A DRUNKEN brawl which left one man dead erupted when two friends clashed after one was threatened with a bottle, a court heard.

Michael Halliday initially pushed his friend Antony Robinson off a seat in a pub before the trouble moved outside where the fatal punch was thrown.

Other drinkers in The Roundel, Thornaby, watched the unfolding drama from inside the pub and witnesses told jurors they saw Halliday land the fatal blow on Mr Robinson.

Daley Williams told Teesside Crown Court that he had gone to the pub to watch football with a group of friends when the trouble flared.

Under cross examination from defence barrister, Sam Green QC, the witness agreed that the confrontation was just 'flailing arms and handbags' before the final punch was thrown.

Another in the group of drinkers, Ryan Butler, told the court that Halliday and Mr Robinson were quite drunk before their night descended into violence.

He said: "I saw the man in the red top (Halliday) come back in and push the man in the beige jacket (Mr Robinson) off his stool. I saw him fall but I didn't see whether he hit anything as he fell.

"He said (Mr Robinson) 'I'm going to go outside and sort this out'. I thought he was going to go out and make peace with the man."

When Nick Dry, prosecuting, asked why he would say that, Mr Butler replied: "He was quite embarrassed and wasn't aggressive.

"I saw him leave and go up to the man in the red top. Just on the path, at the top of the path, under the trees.

"The guy in the red top threw a punch at him but it only hit him in the chest and then the guy in the red top left again.

"It wasn’t a malicious punch, it was just getting him away sort of thing. It was kind of like a push."

The witness said he didn't see the punch being thrown but see Mr Robinson fall to the floor as a result.

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard how the two men had gone to the pub with Halliday’s son, Jacob, and were said to be in “high spirits” and “messing about”. But Halliday's mood changed and he became “aggressive”.

Mark Watts, assistant manager of the pub, said he had no concerns about their behaviour before he heard Mr Robinson crash to the floor.

He said: "He launched a right hook and struck the man's (Antony) jaw and he just went down straight away. He was completely limp and collapsed and he hit the floor."

The court heard how Halliday worked off-shore but also runs a company named Cosy Homes North East Ltd and Mr Robinson would occasionally do some jobs for him.

Halliday, of Dresser Lane, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, denies the charge and is expected to say he acted in self-defence.

The 40-year-old's trial is expected to last for five days.