An ex-soldier was killed on the steps of a hotel following a row over cigarette butts.

Sidney Collier, 77, was confronted at his home at The Burlington Hotel in Buenos Ayres, Margate, by fellow resident David Harris, 62.

Harris pushed Mr Collier back and the victim struck his head on concrete.

He was taken to hospital but despite an operation never recovered and died the following day.

Footage of the clash was played at Maidstone Crown Court earlier today.

Mr Collier was shown arriving at the hotel on October 6 last year - and then being approached by Harris.

The two had previously argued about noise and cigarette butts which Harris claimed had been thrown onto his balcony.

'As he lay prostrate and obviously unconscious, you showed no concern whatsoever for his welfare...'

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said it was "a thoroughly childish encounter" between the two men, both regarded as loners.

He jailed Harris for four years and nine months, telling him: "This was a wholly unnecessary incident. You waited in the lobby before attacking your victim.

"As he lay prostrate and obviously unconscious, you showed no concern whatsoever for his welfare."

The incident was witnessed by a couple sitting on a park bench who watched the two men exchange threats before Harris tried to headbutt the victim twice.

Harris then pushed Mr Collier backwards and as he lay prostrate on the ground kicked a drink in his direction before going back inside.

Mr Collier suffered serious head injuries, the court heard.

Defence barrister Oliver Saxby QC said: "There had been a background of Mr Collier constantly belittling the defendant.

"He was rude and aggressive and the defendant went down to confront him. Moments earlier Mr Collier had been shouting: 'Come on then..', "

Mr Saxby said the two had clashed but had not connected with any headbutt.

"This happened in the heat of the moment and he went to confront him," he said.

"He didn't realise how badly hurt Mr Collier was."

The judge said it must have been "blindingly obvious because he was unconscious and was lying prone and not moving".

Prosecutor James Brown said the day before the incident, Harris was told by the hotel manager it may not be Mr Collier who was responsible for the cigarette butts landing on his balcony.

Harris told him: "I'm going to have words with that ****. I'm going to knock him out."

On October 6, Harris spotted the victim walking up the road and threw some cigarette butts at him and the two men exchanged threats.

He went downstairs and as Mr Collier struggled opening the front door he was confronted by Harris, who pushed him back and the victim struck his head on concrete.

Harris then left his victim on the ground and returned to his room as others went to Mr Collier's aid.

The court heard that Mr Collier's only relative lives in the USA and was following the case through reports from police officers.

During the sentencing, Harris called his barrister and said he denied pushing the victim and said he went upstairs because he was asthmatic and needed an inhaler.

He had been facing a murder trial before the prosecution accepted a plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Mr Collier was a talented jazz drummer who joined the US army after emigrating to Canada where he married and had a son.

'Sidney was just an old man who lived here who didn’t deserve to die...'

The hotel's owner, Richard Williams, previously told of his shock after the incident last year.

The Burlington has 15 rooms which are used by holiday-makers, but also people looking for a permanent place to live who stay on a longer-term basis, like Mr Collier had done.

“Sidney was just an old man who lived here who didn’t deserve to die,” Mr Williams said.

“He was a bit grumpy; he liked to talk to the TV, mainly about politics.

“But he kept himself to himself.

“He didn’t really like people, although he was never rude, never violent.”

David Harris is arrested

Before his death, Mr Collier had arranged to stay on at the hotel full-time while he waited for somewhere to live permanently.

He had been there as a long-term guest after turning up just before the first lockdown saying he needed a room.

Mr Williams said: “He needed to go on the housing list and so I said it was fine for him to live here and he said ‘you’re very kind to me’.”

The hotel owner cleared Mr Collier’s room after his death.

“I packed his suitcase up in case we heard anything from family, but I don’t think he had any," he said.

“What made me sad was when I was packing up his room, there was a microwave meal in the microwave, which looked like it was about to be cooked.

“I think what he’d done is put it in there, then gone over to the shop to get a can of beer to go with his dinner, but he never made it back to have it.”

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