A PUB drinker high on alcohol and drugs punched a man to his death then laughed and walked off, a court heard.

Ryan Saunders, 29, of Ashville Road, in Leytonstone, today admitted killing 46-year-old Gary Saywell outside their local, the Northcote Arms, in Grove Green Road, Leytonstone, with a single, forceful punch which caused the victim to hit his head and fall unconscious.

At the Old Bailey today, the court heard that the attack followed afternoon of drinking for Saunders, who had been in the pub with friends from 1pm.

Christopher Coltart, prosecuting, said that Mr Saywell arrived at 6pm and the men, who had “a history of bad feeling” between them, had a disagreement about the jukebox.

A few hours later at about 8pm, witnesses reported seeing the defendant leave the pub and the victim follow and an row erupted between them in the middle of the road and on the pavement.

Mr Coltart said: “Mr Saywell was upset and aggressive and was moving towards the defendant and was taunting him.

“The defendant turned round and punched him forcefully in the face. He fell back into the road, hitting his head.

“The defendant laughed and walked off and took out his mobile phone to make a call.”

A witness found Mr Saywell lying unconsciousness and face down in the road.

The landlady of the pub called for an ambulance but Mr Saywell was slipping in and out of consciousness, the court heard.

He was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital then transferred to a specialist neurology hospital, but suffered bleeding on the brain and died 12 days after the attack, on February 28.

Mr Coltart told the court that Saunders had drunk eight pints between 1pm and 5pm that day and a toxicology report showed he also had cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis in his blood stream.

He said that the defendant had an ability to get under the skin of other people who drank regularly in the pub through, “similar behaviour”.

Saunders has previously been convicted for assaulting a police officer on two separate occasions, once outside a Leytonstone pub and once outside Leytonstone tube station after drinking and taking drugs.

Jane Gow, mitigating, told the court it was not an unprovoked attack and there had been a previous “altercation” between the two men.

She said: “On previous occasions he said he has walked away, but perhaps on this occasion he decided enough was enough.”

Miss Gow told the court that Saunders lost both parents at a young age which led to him creating a “hardened outer shell”.

She added: “These were a regrettable set of circumstances and words cannot describe how Mr Saywell's family must be feeling.

"Mr Saunders said he would do anything to turn back the clock so this didn't happen. He will have to live with that guilt for the rest of his life.”

Saunders, who pleads guilty to manslaughter, will be sentenced later today.

Mr Saywell, of Glen Road, Walthamstow, was described by friends as a “friendly guy” who they called Billy Mitchell because of his resemblance to the EastEnders character.