A ROW which started over someone drinking too much vodka ended with a man being murdered, a jury was told.

Preston Crown Court heard how victim Marek Krivak, a 32-year-old Slovakian national, was with his friend Robert Leck in Hargreaves Street, Burnley, at around 7am on October 27 when they were approached by three men they didn’t know.

Prosecutor David Temkin said the mood among the five men, who were all described as worse for wear, was initially friendly.

Mr Krivak even shared a bottle of vodka he had with defendant Drew Wilkinson, his friend Jordan Weyer and acquaintance Liam Kennedy.

However Mr Temkin said the atmosphere changed when Mr Leck left the group.

He told the jury: “Mr Kennedy it seems upset Mr Krivak by drinking a bit too much of the vodka. Mr Krivak squared up to Mr Kennedy. Liam Kennedy was to tell the police afterwards that he didn’t feel scared, he just moved out of the way.

“The defendant and Jordan Weyer were standing nearby. They were close enough to see and hear what was going on.

“Suddenly, and without warning, the defendant (Wilkinson) came forward. He was angry. He moves his friend Liam Kennedy out of the way. He then purposefully punches Mr Krivak in the face.”

Mr Temkin said such was the force of the punch that it knocked Mr Krivak, who was 5ft and 9ins tall and 190lbs, to the floor.

But the jury was told that the prosecution alleges before Wilkinson hit Mr Krivak he reached into his left pocket of his jeans and armed himself with a knuckle-duster.

And when Wilkinson was arrested in nearby Cow Lane police found a knuckle-duster in the same pocket.

Doctors also described marks on the right side of Mr Krivak’s face as consistent with being hit by someone wearing a knuckle-duster on their left hand.

The jury was told that Mr Krivak never recovered from the catastrophic head injuries he received having falling to the floor. But when Mr Krivak was lying defenceless and motionless on the floor, CCTV footage played in court, showed Wilkinson land another blow to his face.

Mr Temkin said Wilkinson then kicked the defenceless man in the head, before running off.

It was Mr Kennedy who called 999 and tried to resuscitate Mr Krivak until police and paramedics arrived.

At one stage Mr Weyer tried to give Mr Krivak mouth to mouth.

But, having returned to the scene, Wilkinson was allegedly said: “I think I have killed him.”

Witness Amelia Lever also told police the defendant shouted to Mr Kennedy: “Right Kennedy, we can’t stay here. Come on we need to go. What if he’s dead?”

Mr Temkin said it was the prosecution’s case that Wilkinson did nothing to help Mr Krivak, who died in Royal Preston Hospital three days after the attack.

He added: “In the early morning of October 27 last year there was a sudden outburst of violence in a Burnley street.

“Although it lasted only seconds the outcome was catastrophic.

“The prosecution case is simply that this defendant attacked another man. The prosecution case is that he did so without any lawful justification. The man didn’t recover from the defendant’s attack. Within three days, despite attempts from doctors to save his life, the man died.

“What the prosecution say is that the evidence in this case demonstrates the defendant intended to cause really serious harm.”

Wilkinson, 18, of Straight Mile Court, Burnley, denies murder.

(Proceeding).