A bouncer has told of the part he played in dealing with an aggressive nightclub customer who died soon after being restrained.

Jamie Seal said he took Michael Bowes to the floor by his head after seeing him struggling with another doorman at Rivals in Deal.

He agreed that he helped to hold the “muscular” 25-year-old down for about 15 minutes until he stopped struggling.

Seal, 27, told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday he afterwards resumed his duties in the Queen Street club and was shocked when told Mr Bowes had died and he was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Seal, of Beech Grove, Cliffsend, is on trial with Peter Holland, 46, of St Pierre Court, Prince of Wales Terrace, Deal, and Simon Banks, 40, of William Pitt Avenue, Deal.

All three deny manslaughter by gross negligence.

Mr Bowes had a cardiac respiratory collapse following his ejection from the Breakology drum and bass night in the early hours of August 11, 2013.

Seal, whose day job was an electrical engineer with Southern Water, worked at the club for Marc-One Security for five years.

He said he was inside the club when a call came over his radio saying: “Security, dance floor.”

Seal, who is 6ft 3in tall, then helped other doormen escort Mr Bowes out. He did not touch him but others were holding his arms. He was taken through the doors and he then started banging on the window.

“I didn’t see any of the door supervisors behave in an inappropriate way at all,” he told the jury of six men and six women.

"I was trying to keep him in one place and not attack anyone else. He stopped struggling towards the end. He went limp. He stopped shouting at us. His head went limp. That’s the point where we got up" - Jamie Seal

“He was being escorted out according to the rules. Nobody was being aggressive with him. Nobody was raising their voices or treating him with disrespect.

“I could see him through the glass. He looked really aggressive. He was shouting, swearing and jumping around. I thought perhaps he wanted to regain entry to the club.”

Banks went out and tried to restrain Mr Bowes, of King Street, Margate, and calm him down.

“They were sort of intertwined in a tussle,” he continued. “Michael was flailing his arms around. Because I saw he was struggling I went up behind Michael and took him to the floor.

“I decided to take him down by his head - control of the head and bring him down to the floor. I am not entirely sure how much force I used.

“It is whatever force is necessary to take him to the ground. I was acting instinctively. I definitely consider it was necessary to take him to the floor.

“I was trying to hold his left arm and shoulder down. I was applying pressure with my left knee to his side. He was still struggling.

“I held his left hand. I wouldn’t say I had control. I was trying to calm him down. He wasn’t responding. He was shouting abuse, shouting strange things.

“I agree I was in that position for about 15 minutes. I was trying to keep him in one place and not attack anyone else.

“He stopped struggling towards the end. He went limp. He stopped shouting at us. His head went limp. That’s the point where we got up.”

Seal said he was worried Mr Bowes might be “faking it” and pretending to be unconscious. He said he could feel his breath on the back of his hand.

He went back inside the club. He knew an ambulance and the police were called. He saw he had blood on his hands and went to the kitchen to wash it off before returning to work.

“I was worried that something had happened,” he said. “The police arrived. I was told I was under arrest for murder.

“I was in shock because I assumed everything was fine. I didn’t know Mr Bowes had died.”

Asked by his QC Peter Bourne if he at any time did anything he should not have done, he replied: “No, I didn’t do anything.”

The trial continues.