A teenager accused of fatally punching a man who commented on the length of his mum’s skirt has gone on trial.

Ruben Smith, 19, and Mark Green, 42, attacked Anthony Armstrong in Folkestone after he allegedly commented on Victoria McNally’s garment.

After being punched, Mr Armstrong fell backwards with such force he suffered devastating brain injuries, jurors heard.

Smith, who admits striking Mr Armstrong but denies manslaughter, appeared in the dock at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday.

Green, his co-defendant, admitted manslaughter at the same court previously this year.

The pair, alongside a man called Kelly Bishop, deny a charge of affray after allegedly attacking another man outside a food bank minutes before.

Opening the prosecution’s case on Monday, Eloise Marshall KC, said: “Smith, Green and Bishop committed a vicious, unprovoked street attack on Tristan Hanniford, and within minutes of that attack Smith and Green went on to attack Mr Armstrong.

“And it was that second attack when Mr Armstrong was punched so hard he fell to the ground and suffered a fatal head injury.

“There were two incidents of violence. The affray was first in time about 10 minutes before the second incident of violence, which resulted in the death of Anthony Armstrong.”

The trio set upon Mr Hanniford in front of his friend Carley Bishop (of no relation to Mr Bishop) outside the Sunflower House food bank in Foord Road, on the morning of October 6 last year, the prosecutor said.

Ms Marshall alleged medics in a nearby mobile hepatitis clinic saw the defendants “each go in” during the “entirely unprovoked attack”.

After Mr Hanniford fled, the defendants walked towards New Street with Smith's mum Ms McNally.

When they happened upon Mr Armstrong, the violence intensified, the court heard.

Mr Armstrong “politely” told Ms McNally “you might want to pull your dress down as I can see your knickers”, Ms Marshall said.

Following a row, Smith was the first to punch Mr Armstrong in the face, before Green also delivered a number of blows, the court heard.

He fell backwards into the road, striking the back of his head on the concrete surface. Just moments later Mr Armstrong was showing signs of internal bleeding, jurors heard.

Smith and Green dragged Mr Armstrong onto the pavement and left the scene, while a concerned eye-witness alerted the emergency services.

The court heard Smith’s group allegedly tried persuading eye-witness Carley Bishop to tell officers Mr Armstrong slipped over, but she would later tell officers she witnessed the attack.

Mr Armstrong died in hospital on October 9. A post-mortem revealed his cause of death was “severe traumatic brain injury”.

Ms Marshall explained Green and Smith were arrested hours after the attack, with Kelly Bishop arrested about three weeks later.

Smith, of Foord Road South, denies manslaughter and affray.

His barrister Nina Ellin KC, told jurors: “Although you hear he did punch Mr Armstrong’s face, what the defence say is he was not party to a joint attack on Mr Armstrong.”

Green, of East Cliff, admitted manslaughter earlier this year but maintains his innocence over the affray charge, his lawyer Peter Forbes explained.

Kelly Bishop, of Kettle Drive, Hawkinge, also denies affray.

“His case is, all he did was push Mr Hanniford, and he did so because he believed that he might himself be attacked,” Ian Foinette said.

The trial is expected to last about 10 days and the defendants are yet to argue their case.