The trial of a Barrie man charged with manslaughter began on Tuesday.

Bryan Smith has pleaded not guilty in the death of Brett Wickett in July 2017.

The Crown told the court both men were drinking with a group of neighbours on Anne Street when an altercation broke out and Smith allegedly punched 45-year-old Wickett in the face.

“Brett Wickett fell straight back, hard, like a tree,” Crown Shannon Curry said in her opening statement.

While unconscious, the victim was carried into a house and placed on a couch for the night.

The next morning he was taken to hospital with signs of significant trauma. He died hours later.

Smith later turned himself over to police after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The trial will continue on Wednesday.