A DRUNKEN family fight at a holiday park ended in tragedy when a man died from head injuries, a court heard.

Jamie Mitchell, 35, his mum Samantha Mitchell, 58, and her partner Kenneth Dickie had begun drinking early at their holiday home at Rockley Park, Poole, when an alcohol-fuelled evening ended with the death a week later of Mr Dickie, 64.

Mr Dickie suffered severe head injuries and died in Southampton General Hospital a week after the incident which took place on May 7 last year.

Jamie Mitchell denies manslaughter.

Prosecuting, Charles Gabb, told Winchester Crown Court during the first day of Jamie Mitchell’s trial that a fight broke out between the defendant and Mr Dickie when they were at the park’s Live Lounge.

The court heard that Mr Dickie and Samantha Mitchell were experiencing relationship troubles at the time and had talked of separating.

Mr Dickie and Jamie Mitchell fought outside and were soon broken up by other drinkers from the bar, the hearing was told.

Stephen Spencer told the court he saw Mr Dickie on the floor and heard Jamie Mitchell say “you’re not going to talk to my mum like that” before taking hold of Jamie Mitchell and telling him to walk away.

But then a second altercation ensued later between Mr Dickie, Jamie and Samantha Mitchell while they returned to their holiday home at around 1am, the court heard.

Fellow holiday-makers heard “a thud” and had called police, Mr Gabb said.

He said: “The thud was Kenneth Dickie being knocked to the ground.”

Paramedics arrived and tried to save Mr Dickie who had fractured his skull in the fall, jurors heard.

Both Jamie and Samantha Mitchell, of Apple Close in Poole, have pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after initially claiming Samantha Mitchell had shoved Mr Dickie.

Mr Gabb said: “It is not the prosecution’s case that he ever intended to kill.

“The Crown say Kenneth Dickie died as a direct consequence of an unlawful assault put upon him by this defendant.”

Vincent Brooks, of Bournemouth, told the court he had known Ms Mitchell and Mr Dickie for around eight years and, during that time, they had been known to bicker but always make up.

He said that when drinking at the Live Lounge on May 7, Samantha Mitchell had been agitated with him for some unknown reason and he moved to another table.

“I didn’t want to deal with any more aggro,” he told the court.

He left the bar with his wife between 11-11.30pm that evening, the hearing was told.

He said he awoke the next morning to a series of texts from both Samantha and Jamie Mitchell.

He learned from Jamie Mitchell that his mum had been arrested and Mr Dickie had been rushed to hospital, the court heard.

“He was very upset about Ken being taken to hospital,” he said.

“I told him to be brave.”

The trial continues.