A MAN repeatedly said "I'm a murderer" and laughed while being arrested by police following an incident at a Southampton home, an inquest heard.

Andrzej Kozlowski was later released with no further action taken over the incident which saw 57-year-old Jozef Bernat suffer severe head injuries in a fall down stairs.

Winchester Coroner's Court heard Mr Bernat, a builder from St Mary's Road, had been drinking at his home with Mr Kozlowski and another man identified only as 'Bogdan', before the incident at around 1pm on September 2.

Paramedics managed to revive Mr Bernat and rushed him to Southampton General Hospital, but he died of his injuries on September 11.

Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Basil Purdue told the inquest the "severe" head injury was consistent with a fall down stairs, and was "an inevitably fatal injury".

The inquest also heard Mr Bernat had a history of chronic alcohol abuse, and witnesses described him as being drunk prior to the fall.

Mariusz Przybysz, Mr Bernat's flatmate who had been in the home at the time, said he had been on the phone when he heard "a loud bang".

In a police statement read out during in the inquest, he said: "I didn't think much of it and I was not surprised because I've often heard Jozef falling on the ground when he was drunk."

Referring to Mr Kozlowski as 'arrested man', he added: "I heard arrested man's voice coming from the ground floor. He was saying 'he's dead'. He kept nudging him and repeating 'he's dead'."

PC Lisa Webb, via a statement, said she arrested Mr Kozlowski, 58, also of St Mary's Road, on suspicion of attempted murder.

She said PCSO Agata Kupczak, who was acting as a Polish interpreter, had told her Mr Kozlowski had changed his account and had blood on him. She also described him as being "heavy in drink".

PC Webb added: "When he was walked to the van, he was shouting in the street 'I'm a murderer' repeatedly and laughing. He was also shouting and swearing at us."

DS Robert Harrington later told the inquest that he believed Mr Kozlowski "was being sarcastic and there was quite a crowd so he was playing up to them, rather than confessing to a crime".

He said he believed the more likely scenario was Mr Bernat had fallen down the stairs while intoxicated.

No further action was taken against Mr Kozlowski.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, senior coroner Grahame Short said the fall had been unwitnessed, adding: "I cannot determine precisely how he fell."