A MAN killed his stepfather’s drinking friend after an argument about a comment he was said to have made a week earlier.

Christopher Morgan punched, kicked and stamped on Jonathan Gilbert at his home in Crook, County Durham, on April 20.

The attack resulted in Mr Gilbert, 43, suffering brain damage from which he never recovered. He died ten days later in hospital, without regaining consciousness.

Morgan, 24, has admitted manslaughter, but denies murder and is this week facing a five-day trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Yesterday, the jury was told that the background to the dispute was a comment about being “a half-breed” which angered Morgan.

He went to Mr Gilbert’s home, which he shared with the defendant’s stepfather and fellow alcoholic David Pinder.

The jury heard that Morgan – known as Porky – hurled a vodka bottle and yelled: “Who’s a half-breed now?”

He is said to have then pulled Mr Gilbert from his sofa, punched him in the face, kicked him and stamped on his head.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, told the jury the victim pleaded with his attacker: “Leave me alone. Just forget about it.”

Mr Dodds said: “We then have David Pinder commenting ‘I think this must have knocked Gilly out. He started snoring’.

“In fact, by stamping on Jonathan Gilbert’s head, the defendant had initiated the onset of a sub-dural haemorrhage.

“David Pinder told his stepson to leave. The defendant was in a rage and punched his hand through a door as he left.”

Morgan went out drinking in pubs with friends and discovered police had sealed off the street when he returned hours later.

The jury heard that he rang his mother and said: “I had a fight with him cos he called me a half-breed. I think I’ve killed him.”

Hours later, he walked up to the police cordon – on the advice of his mother – and handed himself in, the court was told.

Initially, Morgan admitted only punching father-of-two Mr Gilbert after he had been struck in the face first.

Mr Dodds said he became more forthcoming in later interviews and confessed to a flurry of punches and a kick.

Under more questions, he said: “Aye, I booted him in the head... that’s why he’s got that f*****g head injury. I just stood over the top of him and stamped straight on his head.”

Morgan, of Thornfield Road, Consett, County Durham, was charged with murder after Mr Gilbert died in hospital on April 30.

The jury of seven women and five men was told by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton that the issue will be Morgan’s intent.