A man who punched and killed a man in a night club argument has today been jailed for three years.

Shane Manville hit Anthony Evans, 29, in the face, knocking him to the floor, after an altercation at the bar.

Today, Manville, 26, of Glynde Road, Brighton, pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Mr Evans, of Bolsover Road, Hove, had gone to The Escape Club in Brighton on January 20 last year with friends Guy Perritt and Jeremy White.

At about 1am Mr Evans and Mr White were standing near the bar. Mr Evans started a conversation with Manville.

CCTV footage from the club showed Mr Evans talking to Manville and raising his hand to show him something in his pocket.

After talking for about a minute, Manville raised his fist and punched Mr Evans in the face, breaking his nose, Lewes Crown Court heard.

Mr Evans fell to the floor and lay unconscious for a while. He was helped outside by Mr Perritt and club stewards.

An ambulance was called, but Mr Evans refused treatment. Mr Perritt drove him to his girlfriend's house.

Later that night Mr Evans complained of a severe headache. He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, where he suffered a brain haemorrhage and died.

Witnesses from the club said Mr Evans had earlier appeared drunk and had behaved aggressively.

He was later found to have consumed a cocktail of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and the horse tranquilliser ketamine, said Camden Pratt, defending.

Witness Eleni Kasparis told police she had overhead Mr Evans tell Manville he had something in his pocket which would "blow his eardrums".

Manville told police he had believed Mr Evans was going to attack him with a weapon.

He said: "I only hit him once because he was threatening me. I thought he was going to use a weapon. I didn't mean to hurt him. I'm sorry."

The court heard Manville had several previous convictions for violence, including one for a violent assault in the Paradox club, Brighton, in 1996, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison.

Judge Brown said: "In this case there was obviously some measure of provocation by Mr Evans. However, you have a record which indicates you area all too ready to resort to violence."

Mr Evans was buried in Hove next to his sister Barbara who died at the age of 13 from a brain tumour the day after his birth.

His family agreed to donate his organs and at least five lives were saved as a result.

The youngest of four brothers, Mr Evans was raised on the Knoll estate in Hove and was educated at Goldstone Junior and Blatchington Mill schools.

He lived with his parents Maureen and Tony at their former home in Bolsover Road, Hove.

He played football for the Golden Cross pub in Portland Road, Hove, which organised a charity match to raise money for Mrs Evans' two young daughters, Elle and Lauren.