A DRUNKEN student plunged 85ft to his death after a brawl on a river bridge, a court was told yesterday.

John Chipp was running home after a night out on March 19, with colleagues from a McDonald's restaurant, when he became involved in a late-night brawl with Christopher Weldon, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Mr Weldon, aged 28, of Parkhurst Road, Pennywell, Sunderland, had drunk eight pints of lager and had argued with his wife, stormed off and told her that he was going to throw himself off the city's Queen Alexandra Bridge.

Mr Chipp, 18, of Castletown, Sunderland, was said to have been warned by police for his drunken behaviour twice that night.

He was last seen running across the bridge. His body was pulled out of the River Wear just under a month later.

Mr Weldon denies murder and claims that Mr Chipp attacked him and fell off the bridge when he put his arms up to protect himself.

After the incident, Mr Weldon then walked to a phone box and asked for a lift home from his mother.

The trial continues.

* The Queen Alexandra Bridge is closed to traffic between 10am and 11.30am today to enable a visit by the jury.