A teenager has been sent to a young offenders institution for two years after a man he attacked died hours later.

Roofer Stacey Simmons, 19, of Rushlake Road, Brighton, admitted a charge of manslaughter at Lewes Crown Court.

Vincent Duggan, 49, a plumber of North Place, Brighton, died after inhaling his own blood after being punched and kicked on September 1 last year.

The court heard Mr Duggan, a heavy drinker, had refused medical treatment from paramedics.

David Howker, prosecuting, told the court trouble between the men started when Simmons and his friends tried to enter a flat in Halland Road, Moulsecoomb, where Mr Duggan and his pals were listening to music. They believed a party was taking place.

After the fight ended, Simmons went back and kicked down the door and trouble only ended when a friend of Mr Duggan's hit Simmons with a coal scuttle.

Mr Duggan had two black eyes, blood on his face and appeared to have a broken nose but he became abusive and refused to go to hospital when paramedics arrived.

He then went to sleep on the sofa but later died. A post-mortem examination revealed his death was due to him inhaling blood from his broken nose.

The court heard yesterday that Simmons, who has no previous convictions, learnt about Mr Duggan's death the following day and went with his stepfather to the police station to give himself up.

Jeremy Carter-Manning, defending, said the violence that occurred could not, on its own, have caused Mr Duggan's death.

He said: "The actions of that man when dealing with the ambulance service speaks volumes. The paramedics were there to take the patient to hospital and he would not go. Clearly none of this would have occurred if he had gone to hospital."

He referred to a report which expressed Simmon's remorse for his actions.

Judge Richard Brown told Simmons: "That night you went back and forced your way into someone's house and continued a fight that had come to an end.

"On the other hand, it is accepted you did not have any intention to cause any serious grievous bodily harm to him and his death occurred through circumstances nobody could anticipate."