A man who fatally punched another in the street after he commented on his friend’s dress has been jailed.

Mark Green killed Anthony Armstrong after hitting him in the face during an afternoon near Folkestone town centre last year.

The 42-year-old’s violent outburst caused Mr Armstrong to fall backwards and hit his head against tarmac, resulting in devastating brain injuries.

Green, who comes from the town, previously admitted manslaughter and was jailed for eight years at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday.

His co-defendant Ruben Smith, 19, was cleared of manslaughter at the same court last week.

Smith, also of Folkestone, admitted being the first to punch Mr Armstrong, 49, but a judge ruled mid-trial he could not be safely convicted of the serious charge.

Jurors heard the pair attacked Mr Armstrong after he commented on the length of Smith’s mother’s dress, jurors were told.

Giving evidence, Carley Bishop said she was with Mr Armstrong in New Street after visiting a foodbank when the violence unfolded.

She recalled Smith punching Mr Armstrong to the side of the face, then stepping away, before Green “laid into” him.

She told the court Green “just kept punching him, there was just so much blood - he fell back and his head split open.

The one person who (killed) him was Mark Green”.

Pointing and turning towards Green in the dock, she went on: “You killed him - you should be ashamed of yourself”.

The court heard Miss Bishop and Mr Armstrong happened upon Green and his group in New Street during the afternoon of October 6 last year.

The defendants set upon Mr Armstrong after he ‘politely’ told Smith’s mother Victoria McNally her underwear was visible due to the length of her dress.

During the attack, Mr Armstrong fell backwards with such force he suffered devastating brain injuries when his head hit the road, jurors heard.

Giving evidence, Miss Bishop said Ms McNally and Green pulled Mr Armstrong out of the road and tried waking him.

But she claimed when Mr Armstrong would not regain consciousness Mr Green’s group tried convincing her to tell the police he slipped over.

When police and medics descended on the scene Green was arrested and Mr Armstrong was conveyed to a specialist hospital.

“There were two incidents of violence – the affray was first before the second which resulted in the death of Anthony Armstrong...”

However, Mr Armstrong died three days later from “severe traumatic brain injury”.

Green, of no fixed address, was cleared of affray but Smith, of Foord Road South, admitted the charge during his trial.

It was related to a volatile disturbance outside Sunflower House food bank in Foord Road, in the minutes leading up to the tragic attack.

Co-defendant Kelly Bishop, of Kettle Drive, Hawkinge, is expected to go on trial for the alleged affray later this year.

Opening the prosecution’s case last 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.”

Investigating officer Det Con Tania Pickering said: “This incident was an example of how mindless street violence can end in tragic consequences, the loss of a life and for Green and Smith– custodial sentences.

“I thank the witnesses for their support in the investigation and my thoughts are with Mr Armstrong’s family and friends.”