A MAN has told a court he thought a brother and sister accused of “force feeding” a man on a train were “having a laugh with him.”

David Clark, 56, choked to death on a Barrow train on his way home from a football match in March 2019.

Paramedics retrieved a large piece of kebab meat from his throat, approximately the size of an egg.

But David Noble, 32, and Nicole Cavin, 22, deny manslaughter.

Cavin’s ex partner Daniel Shepard told the jury at Preston Crown Court he had been on a day trip to Blackpool with Noble and Cavin on Saturday March 2 2019.

All three had been drinking, but Mr Shepard said he was “not a big drinker” and had drunk less than the others.

The trio changed trains at Preston and were joined by Mr Clark and his friend Jon Waite at Lancaster.

The train was packed and boisterous, and Mr Shepard said he and Cavin squashed together onto a single seat to make room for Mr Clark to sit down next to them.

He told the court: “I think Mr Clark had helped himself to some food then David Noble started joking and picked some of his food up and shoved it into his mouth.

“Mr Clark didn’t really react. He looked as if he was asleep or drunk.

“David Noble was laughing, Nicole was laughing, and yeah, I was laughing. I thought he was having a laugh with him.”

Mr Shepard said he remembered David Noble putting food in Mr Clark’s mouth “two or three times”.

He said there was “quite a bit of food” in Mr Clark’s mouth.

But he told the jury: “Looking back, he weren’t really conscious. His eyes were open but I think he was falling asleep.”

Moments later, Mr Clark stood up and looked as if he was going to vomit before collapsing forwards in the aisle.

Giving evidence Mr Shepard also said he remembered Cavin putting food towards Mr Clark’s mouth although he said he was not sure whether any went in.

In a statement to the police, the day after the incident, Mr Shepard did not mention Cavin feeding Mr Clark, but Mr Shepard explained to the jury he had been in shock at the time he made his initial statement.

Noble, of Main Street, Grange, and Cavin, of Market Street, Grange, deny manslaughter.