A father-of-two accused of murdering his older brother after apparently having a row in a taxi is due to stand trial in the summer.

Lee Eldred, 36, died from “a traumatic blow to the side of the head near the left ear”, Maidstone Crown Court was told today.

The tragedy happened after he and his brother Carl, 33, were said to have argued in a taxi mini-bus on the A26 near Hadlow Manor Hotel on Friday, December 28.

Mr Eldred, a bricklayer from Tonbridge, was pronounced dead at the roadside.

His brother, of Little Footway, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, was arrested at the scene.

Appearing by video link with Elmley Prison, Eldred, who runs a panel-beating business, confirmed his name, date of birth and nationality.

He will enter a plea on January 28. Judge David Griffith-Jones QC set a provisional trial date for June 10.

Members of the brothers’ family, including their father Trevor and Carl Eldred’s wife, were in court for the brief hearing.

Danny Moore, defending, said when applying for bail: “It is a real tragedy in many senses of the word. It is a highly unusual case. These two men were very close indeed.”

Bail was refused and Eldred was remanded in custody.

An inquest was opened into Lee Eldred's death this morning.

The inquest heard Mr Eldred was travelling back from a night out with friends and family.

Mr Eldred became unresponsive following a blow to the head and CPR was carried out.

Police and paramedics were called out and efforts to resuscitate him were continued. Sadly, Mr Eldred was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem gave the cause of his death as a traumatic brain injury.