TWO teenagers savagely kicked and beat a man to death as he lay in a drunken stupor after celebrating the New Year, a jury was told yesterday.

The 16-year-old attackers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then went covered in blood to two parties, where they tried unsuccessfully to sell their 46 year-old victim's watch.

Yesterday, Newcastle Crown Court was told timber yard worker Malcolm Wilson suffered multiple lacerations to his head, nine fractured ribs, and bruises on his lips, arms, fingers, face and torso. He also suffered a broken jaw.

A footprint on his torso matched the shoe of one of the youths.

Prosecutor Brian Forster QC said Mr Wilson had been making his way home from a New Year's Eve party at the Shack in Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside, at 11.20pm.

The defendants, from the South Tyneside area, found him lying "drunk and mumbling" on a pathway behind Winslow Close, Boldon.

They decided to try to lift him and allowed him to fall and then walked away, before deciding to return to search for money.

Mr Forster said: "One of the defendants was trying to unfasten his wrist watch.

"It was at this stage, and for no apparent reason, the other defendant stepped back and forcefully kicked Mr Wilson in the area of the jaw."

When Mr Wilson grabbed one of them by the leg they attacked him violently, kicking him about the head and body and stamping on him.

They then stripped him of his trousers and left him to be found dead an hour later by a passer-by.

Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper said Mr Wilson had died of a number of forceful blunt impacts to the head.

A wallet found at the scene was traced to one of the defendants.

The pair admit manslaughter, but deny murder.

The trial continues