The single blow, described as louder than a gunshot, left David Hallatt dying on the pavement after pleading with his attacker to stop fighting, jurors at Lewes Crown Court were told.
Terrified drinkers at a the Dolphin and Anchor pub in Chichester looked on as the 57-year-old tried to break up the fight between Kieran Egan and his drunk friend.
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Egan, 30, of Baldmoor Lake Road in Birmingham, and Dyce Barnfield, 31, of Kingstanding Road in Birmingham, deny murder.
“Mr Hallatt did no more than approach and appeal to him for the fighting to stop,” prosecutor John Price KC told a jury.
Another drinker said he heard David Hallatt say: “Stop fighting, he’s drunk, please, please, he doesn’t mean it.”
The police scene outside of the Dolphin and Anchor Wetherspoons on West Street. Picture: Sussex News and Pictures (Image: EDDIE MITCHELL) The tiler from Sheffield never regained consciousness after cracking his head on the pavement outside the pub just before 11pm on Thursday, June 20.
The father-of-two died where he fell, fracturing his skull and causing massive damage to his brain, Mr Price said.
The jury were shown three-and-a-half minutes of CCTV footage described as shocking and distressing.
Witnesses said Egan looked riled up and full of adrenaline.
An argument started inside the pub spilled out onto the street outside on the warm summer evening following England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark at Euro 2024.
Mr Hallatt is seen trying to break up the fight.
Kieran Egan, 30, accepts he delivered the fatal blow but denies murder, the jury heard.
An unusual wound to the face of David Hallatt came about when Mr Egan struck David Hallatt in the face having a key partly protruding from between the knuckles of his right hand, Mr Price suggested to the jury.
Bar Manager Kloee Worboyes saw and heard the punch.
She told police: “The punch to the victim is the loudest punch and him hitting the floor that I ever seen in my life.
“Working in a pub I’ve seen fights and sometimes box myself for charity events.
“The fights I’ve seen before at the pub have always been scruffy, but this was not.
“What else is there that is louder than a gunshot?”
The scene outside of the Dolphin and Anchor Wetherspoons on West Street. Picture: Sussex News and Pictures (Image: EDDIE MITCHELL) After knocking Mr Hallatt to the ground, the Egan and Barnfield walked away from the pub before rushing back to attack again.
Barnfield encouraged Egan to kill, Mr Price told the jury.
Emergency services battled to save his life outside the pub.
A post mortem two days later revealed the cause of death as blunt force head injury, the coroner’s court in Horsham heard.
The trial at Lewes Crown Court sitting in Hove continues.
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