David Sugden death: Accused's girlfriend groped by victim, jurors told

The incident happened at The Downe Arms, Snaith

A reveller killed a man accused of touching his girlfriend's bottom with a single punch in a pub row, a court has been told.

Rhys Collington, 23, allegedly attacked amputee David Sugden, 51, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground.

Mr Sugden suffered a catastrophic brain bleed in the incident outside The Downe Arms in Snaith, East Yorkshire on 16 July 2021.

Mr Collington, on trial at Bradford Crown Court, denies manslaughter.

Rhys Collington is on trial at Bradford Crown Court, accused of manslaughter

Opening the case, prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC told jurors both men had been drinking at the pub on the evening of 15 July.

Mr Lumley said: "Shortly after midnight, he (Mr Sugden) was dead. He had been felled by this defendant. Everyone agrees it was a tragedy.

"He hit David Sugden in that way, not because he wanted to kill him but he hit him in anger because he thought that Mr Sugden may have touched his girlfriend.

"He will argue that he did what he did because he had to do it."

Mr Collington had been socialising with his girlfriend and a group of friends on the night in question, the jury was told.

They were in the outside seating area of the pub, Mr Lumley said, when it was noted Mr Collington had "disappeared from view".

The prosecutor suggested to the jury that, at this point, Mr Collington had quickly confronted Mr Sugden, who wore a prosthetic left leg as a result of a road accident.

Mr Collington was heard by witnesses to say "do not touch my bird again", Mr Lumley said.

When they went to see what the commotion was, the accused's friends saw Mr Sugden "out cold" on the ground, said Mr Lumley.

'A normal bloke'

Mr Collington is then alleged to have told friends "I have just knocked that bloke out", before stating the man had touched his girlfriend on the bottom.

A member of Mr Collington's party, a student nurse, tried in vain to save Mr Sugden but jurors were told he could not have survived his injury, which triggered a cardiac arrest.

In a statement read to the court, a friend of Mr Sugden, who had seen him earlier that evening, described him as "a normal bloke".

Mr Collington, who supplied the court with an address in Airdrie, Scotland, was arrested at the scene, and refused to answer questions during police interviews.

The trial continues.