A car washer has appeared in court after denying killing a father-of-two who died weeks after he left hospital.

Lucian Sorenau, 31, pleaded not guilty to the unlawful killing of Anthony Barrigan following an incident in 2022.

Mr Barrigan, 44, died weeks after he was hospitalised following an assault in Windsor Street, Brighton.

Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Sorenau denied manslaughter, affray and assaulting another woman who was with Mr Barrigan in the alleged attack on June 18, 2022.

Sussex Police were called to a delivery bay in central Brighton at around 10.30pm following reports of an assault on two people.

Mr Barrigan, originally from Liverpool, left Brighton for Birmingham to continue his recovery after being discharged from the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

He died unexpectedly from a pulmonary thromboembolism six weeks later on August 1, 2022.

He was charged in May this year and the case against his father was dropped.

Sussex Police said: "Anthony died suddenly on August 1, 2022, leading detectives to launch an investigation to determine whether his death was linked to an assault that took place in Windsor Street, Brighton, six weeks earlier on 18 June 2022.

"As part of that investigation, Sorenau was arrested and subsequently charged with manslaughter."

Mr Sorenau, who is originally from Romania, has lived in Brighton for eight years.

At Hove Crown Court today he entered not guilty pleas to the manslaughter of Mr Barrigan, assault causing actual bodily harm of Sarah Elizabeth Chollerton and affray on June 18, 2022 in Windsor Street, Brighton.

At an earlier hearing in Brighton Magistrates Court, Kevin Light defending Mr Sorenau said: "He denies it saying self defence and will maintain that plea."

He will appear in court again next year.