A man was struck so hard by a single punch he was "effectively" dead before he hit the ground, a murder trial was told today.

Dean Harry Skillin, 20, from Caernarfon and his cousin Taylor Locke were punched in "rapid succession" by Brandon Luke Sillence, 24, outside the Waverley Hotel, Bangor on Saturday, September 19 last year.

The force of the blow left Mr Skillin with a broken neck and a fractured skull and catastrophic brain bleed after he fell "unconscious" to the ground.

Mr Skillin was pronounced dead at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor the following day.

Sillence admits the manslaughter of Dean Harry Skillin, 20, but denies his murder. He also admits assaulting Mr Locke.

The prosecution at Caernarfon Crown Court today said the issue is what Sillence intended to do when he struck the fatal blow.

The court heard how Mr Skillin had been with his cousin Taylor Locke and another man Will Jones on the night of the fatal attack.

Brandon Luke Sillence will stand trial for murdering Dean Harry Skillin (pictured) from Caernarfon

At the end of the evening, some 30 or 40 people were gathered in the hotel car park when Mr Skillin and Mr Locke were involved in an altercation.

Mr Skillin tried to move his cousin away from Sillence but the accused struck both men.

Prosecutor Robert Philpotts, who had told the jury Sillence had previous been photographed in boxing shorts and filmed himself "shadow boxing", said Sillence knew the damage his punch would cause.

Mr Philpotts said: "He deployed his punching power to devastating and tragic effect on 19 September - ending the life of Dean Skillin in the process." Mr Philpotts said the victim was "effectively dead before he hit the ground".

A witness allegedly pointed out Sillence, of Toronnen, Bangor, at the scene to a police officer and he was arrested.

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Another witness, Harry Morgan, said Mr Skillin was "unconscious" and unable to break his fall when his head hit the ground.

In a statement, he said: "I saw Dean fall to the floor from the corner of my eyes. He fell backwards. He just hit the floor. He was unconscious when he fell, I'm sure of that, as he couldn't protect his fall."

He described the sound of the impact as like a "bag of plaster being dropped".

The court heard that police had been called out to the area previously over an unrelated incident and that Sillence had stood in the way of an officer PC Martin Nash.

Later, PC Nash told the court he heard a 'loud thud' at about 10.40pm.

Brandon Luke Sillence, 24, is accused of killing Dean Harry Skillin and assaulting another man

PC Nash added: "I would describe the sound as sickening. A female was screaming 'He's hit his head'. "

The officer attended to Mr Skillin as he lay on the ground.

PC Nash said: "I bent over who I now know to be Dean Skillin. He was clearly unconscious. I was immediately very concerned for his welfare."

Jurors heard that a pathologist said Mr Skillin suffered a fractured cervical (neck) vertebrae and catastrophic bleeding on the brain.

Police officers and paramedics tried to revive him at the scene and he was taken to hospital for further treatment where he died on September 20, 2020, at 6.40am.

Defence barrister Nicholas Johnson QC questioned Taylor Locke about the evening's events as CCTV footage of the forecourt were played in court.

Mr Locke agreed with the advocate's assessment that Mr Skillin gave another man in the crowd, Wisdom Janes, (corr) "a shove" then the "punches came in".

Mr Locke said: "That's the way it looks. I can't remember."

The trial continues.