Two men accused of a street robbery which led to the victim's death had a fierce argument after the alleged attack, a jury heard.

Raymond Atkins, 33, and Philip Howell, 28, are alleged to have rowed after they fled the scene of the robbery in Bexhill.

Retired hairdresser Jacques Manlow, 82, was pushed to the ground in Parkhurst Road on the afternoon of June 17 last year and his wallet was snatched.

As a passer-by approached, the robbers were seen to hand back his wallet saying they did not want it.

Mr Manlow, who lived in Osbern Close, Bexhill, broke his hip in the fall. A week later he suffered a heart attack and died in hospital.

Atkins, of Albert Road, Bexhill, and Howell, of Rotherfield Avenue, Bexhill, both deny robbery and manslaughter.

A Lewes Crown Court jury heard the alleged row was witnessed by Laura Jones, 21, Howell's girlfriend at the time. She told police she was visiting Atkins' flat on the day of the robbery when he and Howell went out to buy heroin.

She claimed when they returned they were rowing about a robbery which Howell accused Atkins of committing and which he believed was wrong because the victim was elderly.

Ms Jones spoke to the police after the two men were arrested ten days later. Her 45-minute filmed interview with detectives was shown to the jury.

In the interview she said she heard the two men rowing. She said: "Phil kept saying, 'What were you doing?' Ray was going, 'We needed the money.' Phil was saying, 'Why did you do that?'

"Ray was in a right state and he kept having a go at Phil. Phil was having a go at him."

She said Howell had blood on his arm. He told Atkins: "I am not going down for that sort of thing. I have got claret (blood) on my arm. You don't do that sort of thing. He was an old bloke."

She said Howell told her that as they walked along the road they saw an old man with his wallet out and Atkins had grabbed it. Howell told her he snatched the wallet and handed it back to the man.

Atkins had pushed the man to the ground but Howell had tried to help him to his feet.

Ms Jones added: "I just wanted to go down the beach. Phil was saying we cannot go out now."

The jury has heard Mr Manlow's fatal heart attack was allegedly caused as a result of the injuries he received in the robbery.

The prosecution alleges whoever robbed him was responsible for unlawfully killing him.

The trial continues.