The youngest British soldier to serve in Afghanistan was killed on leave in his home town by vodka-swigging thugs who then shook hands, a court heard today.
Popular serviceman Dave Curnow, 20, died during an alcohol-fuelled attack that was totally without provocation, a jury was told.
The victim was posted to Helmand province in March 2013 just days after turning 18 and survived a six-month tour that included several fire-fights.
But Dave was killed while catching up with friends on a night out in Redruth in Cornwall on September 20 last year when he was brutally attacked outside a takeaway.
Liam Laing, 21, of Chacewater, Cornwall, has already admitted killing the brave serviceman.
But his co-accused, Connor Hammond, also 21, of Redruth, today denied one count of murder at Truro Crown Court.
At the start of Hammond's trial a jury of five women and seven men were shown shocking CCTV of the duo shaking each others hand after leaving the victim for dead.
The court was told by prosecutors that the two men killed Mr Curnow in a "team effort" of "unnecessary violence".
Simon Laws QC, prosecuting, said the duo had already started trouble at the Cornish nightclub, The Zone, before their encounter with Dave.
Mr Laws said: "David Curnow was a solider and he was at home on leave. He spent much of the evening talking to people. He was at the club with his girlfriend.
"There was no sign of any trouble. It was a perfectly ordinary evening out. Let's look at the evening, Liam Laing and Connor Hammond had.
"They were at The Zone that night. Their time at the club was less peaceful."
The court was then shown CCTV footage of Laing and Hammond both involved in a fight in the club - with Hammond throwing a punch.
After leaving the venue, they walked around Redruth, drinking from a bottle of vodka.
Dave and his friend had left the club to get a kebab when they encountered Hammond and Laing.
The court heard that Laing and Hammond were walking behind Dave and his friend.
Mr Laws revealed that there was "banter" between Dave and his friend over the fact that Laing had taken his top off.
On CCTV, Dave was seen making a monkey gesture in a "brief and meaningless encounter".
Laing and Hammond were then seen stopping in the street and exchanging words before a fight broken out.
The court was shown CCTV which appeared to show Laing punched Dave before Hammond got him in a headlock and swung him around the street - while Laing punched him.
Dave's friend tried to intervene when the soldier was being punched on the floor but was stuck too.
Mr Laws added: "This was never going to be a fair fight - it was two against one.
It was simply Hammond and Laing assaulting a man, lying on his back."
The court head that the two went back to look at Dave's body after and later were seen on CCTV shaking hands.
Mr Laws said: "It was very much a team effort. Each participated in a joint assault intending to cause David Curnow serious harm and he died as a result."
The court heard that Dave's jaw was broken in two places and that an examination showed that one of the arteries that supplied blood to his brain was damaged.
Mr Laws added that "kicking" could have caused the damage.
The victim, who served in the 4th Batallion, The Rifles, was found unconscious on the ground following the assault at 2.45am.
He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital before being transferred to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where he died the following day.
The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.