A TEENAGER bragged to friends about knocking out a father-of-three who later died - only eight days after he was given an anti-social behaviour order.

Gary Prescott, 16, was "full of himself" after he felled 52-year-old Thomas Noble with a blow from behind in a Sunderland street near the victim's home.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Mr Noble, who also had two step-children, died two days after the attack due to a haemorrhage caused by a torn artery.

While Mr Noble was fighting for his life in hospital, the 16-year-old was "showing off" about what he had done.

One of his own friends told police: "He started to brag about the fact he had knocked a bloke out with one punch.

"As he was bragging, he was punching his fist into the palm of his other hand. He was full of himself."

Yesterday, Prescott, of Kinghorn Square, Downhill, Sunderland, who admitted manslaughter, was locked up for three years.

Judge David Hodson told him: "Your behaviour afterwards, in which you seem to take some pride in what you have done, reflects no credit on you at all."

Mr Noble, of Moreland Street, Roker, confronted Prescott and his friends along with a couple whose daughter and her friend had been involved in a run-in with them only minutes before.

Brian Forster QC, prosecuting, told the court: "One witness states the male youths in the group were spitting on the ground and generally being very cheeky and smirking."

The court heard how one of the youths made a comment to Mr Noble, which prompted him to warn the teenager to "mind his cheek".

Mr Forster said: "The group of youths started to move forward and, in doing so, intimidated the adults. The defendant tried to goad Mr Noble; he was described as holding out his hands as if to say 'come on'."

Mr Noble passed out after the punch and never regained consciousness.

A female witness told police: "I saw this youth raise his right arm with a clenched fist and punch Tom in the back of his head towards the right-hand side. The blow hit Tom towards ear-level. I would describe it as if he was gone from the moment of that punch."

Prescott, who had previous convictions for battery and motoring offences, appeared in court and admitted the killing last month.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and breach of the Asbo made on April 14 at Sunderland youth court.

The terms of the order banned him from causing alarm or distress or consuming alcohol in public. Prescott admitted he had been drinking alcohol in the park with his friends before the killing.

Tony Hawks, in mitigation, said: "There was no weapon involved. It was one punch and one punch only, and unlike a lot of incidents one reads about in the Press, this was not a sustained attack, it was one tragic punch."