A devoted young dad-to-be died after he was punched by his soccer team mate during the club's Christmas night out, a court heard.

Ian Allan, 34, never regained consciousness after he was hit during a fight with a friend at the end of a night's festive drinking.

His attacker, Karl Layton, will be sentenced in June, days before Ian's baby is due to be born.

His pregnant wife Caroline and three-year-old daughter Katie kept a round-the-clock bedside vigil when they should have been celebrating a family Christmas.

Mr Allan, a medical sales rep, had been enjoying a night out with pals from the St Theresa's Catholic Club football team on Newcastle's quayside on December 23.

But an argument broke out as the friends gathered in a taxi queue outside the Bob Trollop pub at aroud 11pm.

Mr Allan was punched and fell to the ground. Other players ran to his aid and he was rushed by ambulance to Newcastle General Hospital.

He was placed in intensive care, but died after a six day battle for life.

Yesterday Layton, 24, of Spencer Street, Heaton, Newcastle, admitted manslaughter on December 22 last year.

Sentence was originally adjourned until June 14 but as Mrs Allan is due to give birth to the couple's second child that day, the date was changed to June 10.

Judge David Hodson told Layton, who has no previous convictions: "You must appreciate the overwhelming likelihood is a sentence of custody for an offence of this nature."

He was granted bail until the date of the sentence and has surrendered his passport.