A LATE-NIGHT row between two neighbours ended with one of them dead, a court heard.

Garry Poore, 75, of Stock Road, Billericay, “went nuts” and confronted neighbour Ronald Mayne, 68, over noise coming from his caravan.

The two ended up arguing on Mr Mayne’s doorstep before Mr Mayne died from a head injury a week later.

Poore denies manslaughter.

David Matthews, prosecuting, told Chelmsford Crown Court: “The defendant did not intend to kill him.

“The prosecution say a punch or a push propelled Mr Mayne backwards and he fell, hitting his head.”

The trial heard both men lived next door to each other on the Templeton caravan park, in Bakers Lane, West Hanningfield.

On the evening of February 26 this year, Mr Mayne was at home and Poore had been out with his family.

Both men had been drinking.

Poore returned home, and shortly after midnight, he called police to complain about noise coming from Mr Mayne’s caravan.

Officers arrived and Mr Mayne agreed to turn his television down before they left.

However, Mr Matthews told the court that about an hour later, police got another call from Poore complaining about more noise.

Mr Matthews described what happened next: “Unfortunately, between the defendant making the call at ten to one and eight minutes past one, the defendant had left his home armed with a hammer and went to Mr Mayne’s caravan to confront him.

“During that confrontation, Mr Mayne was attacked and assaulted by the defendant and received an injury to the back on his head that in the end proved fatal.”

Poore returned to his caravan and called police and said an ambulance may be needed. Mr Mayne, meanwhile, had managed to get back inside his caravan and was found in bed later on.

He was taken to Basildon Hospital with a serious head injury and was later transferred to the Queens hospital in Romford, where he died on Wednesday, March 5.

Poore was arrested and he told police he was “livid” at the noise coming from Mr Mayne’s home and had “reached the end of my tether”

and “done his nut”.

He picked up a hammer and used it to bang on his neighbour’s caravan and when he came out, there was a row after Mr Mayne swore at him.

The court heard Mr Mayne suffered from a form of Tourette’s, which leads to people swearing.

During the row, Poore told police Mr Mayne had fallen down and knocked himself out.

The trial continues.