A man was heard to say "It's not our fault he can't take a punch" as a Sky worker Billy Dawson lay on the ground unconscious, a court has been told.

Mr Dawson suffered a fractured skull and died the following day in Auckland Hospital.

The High Court at Auckland has been told Mr Dawson - who worked for Sky TV - had been out with workmates in October last year and went into Spy Bar at Auckland's Viaduct Basin.

Spy Bar worker Adam Mather said he saw Mr Dawson punched in the face before his body "went limp" and he fell like a sack of potatoes.

He said he went to make sure an ambulance was called for Mr Dawson when a man approached him and said: "It's not our fault he can't take a punch. Come on, bro."

The Crown says the man who threw the punch was Kit John Murray. He has denied a charge of manslaughter.

Murray's lawyer Andrew Speed says his client only pushed Mr Dawson and has asked the jury to consider self-defence.

Mr Mather said Murray "threw everything" into the punch which hit Mr Dawson in the face.

"It appeared to be a ... a well-placed punch as if it wasn't just an amateur kind of thing, it was someone who knows how to punch."

Doorman Fletcher Porter told the court Mr Dawson walked through a group of Pacific Island men on his way out of the bar.

One of the men asked Mr Dawson if he was all right but Mr Dawson responded with a racist comment.

He then approached the men and had his feet swept from under him before being put on his back and slapped in the face about six times.

"They were just love taps, just enough to get the attention ... Not enough to leave any marks," Mr Porter said.

A second man ran the bottom of his boot across Mr Dawson's face, drawing blood from Mr Dawson's mouth.

Mr Fletcher said one of the men pulled Mr Dawson to his feet and Mr Dawson walked off, still swearing.

A short time later Murray approached Mr Dawson and punched him. Mr Dawson's head made a "sickening thud" when it hit the pavement.

Under cross-examination from Murray's lawyer Andrew Speed, Mr Fletcher said he thought Mr Dawson was somewhere between tipsy and drunk at the time.

He was asked if he thought Mr Dawson had been in the mood for a fight and had been using "fighting words".

"In my experience, if someone is looking for a physical fight, they don't bother with words, they just start swinging."

The jurors will hear evidence from 52 witnesses over the next two weeks.

- APNZ

By Edward Gay @edwardgay Email Edward