A retired paramedic was “brutally battered to death” in the back room of a pub during a “violent drunken rage”, a jury has been told.

Terence Edward Taylor, known as Terry, suffered a brain haemorrhage following the attack in Cockermouth’s Globe Hotel in May last year and was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven.

Michael Andrew Sanderson, of Arkleby Hall Cottages, Arkleby, near Aspatria, has gone on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of his murder, which he denies.

At the opening of the trial yesterday, the jury was told that Sanderson, 31, and Mr Taylor had been part of a group from the Red Lion pub in Aspatria taking part in an annual pub crawl on May 30 which was largely made up of members of the drinking spot’s pool team.

After taking in pubs in Wigton, Dalston, Caldbeck, Bassenthwaite and Keswick, the group were dropped off in Cockermouth between 9.30pm and 10pm.

They spent time in several of the bars on Main Street.

The jury of seven women and five men were shown CCTV images of some members of the group drinking in the Globe. At 1.45am, Sanderson and Mr Taylor could be seen talking at the bar.

They then left the bar area and it was at about this time, prosecutors say, that Sanderson attacked the 59-year-old retired paramedic.

Outlining the prosecution case, Richard Pratt QC said: “An hour later the manager of the pub, Peter Brown, had reason to go to the back room and there he found the battered body of Terry Taylor.

“The defendant, meanwhile, was next seen on the Main Street of Cockermouth by another member of his group. He describes the defendant as being bloodstained, particularly on his hands. He was angry and distressed.”

Sanderson was taken to his brother’s house by this man where he stayed the night.

Mr Pratt added: “The prosecution say it was this defendant [Sanderson] who was responsible for this brutal and senseless attack, with a man whom he knew and appeared to be friends with.”

He added: “The defendant, he has offered no explanation, and it’s his case he has no memory of the moments leading up to the fatal attack.”

The jury were also told that the “repeated” and “forceful” attack caused Mr Taylor not only to suffer a brain haemorrhage, but a shattered cheekbone, jawbone and eye socket. Mr Pratt said a Home Office pathologist described the attack as “multiple blows delivered with a severe degree of force”.

One of the men on the trip, Paul Bowness, said Mr Taylor, who lived in the Oldham area, had a caravan in nearby Gilcrux for about 17 years and represented the pool team alongside Sanderson when they “were short”. Mr Bowness also told the court Sanderson and Mr Taylor had played as doubles on occasion.

Mr Bowness added: “It was a really good day, everyone seemed relaxed and everyone was having a good time.”

When Sanderson was arrested he told police he could remember going into the various pubs and arriving in Cockermouth but couldn’t recall anything after that, Mr Pratt told the jury.

The prosecutor said why the attack took place “remains a mystery”.

He told the jury police had seized some of Sanderson’s clothes and found blood and DNA on them matching his own and Mr Taylor’s.

Mr Taylor worked for the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service for 25 years. He was married to wife Debra for 33 years and had three chil-dren and two grandchildren.

The trial continues.