Aiden Matthews suffered a fractured skull after he was punched to the ground in a Norton back alley on December 31, 2025, a jury heard.
Declan Moor, Max Cashman and Lee Bradshaw were all arrested in connection with the incident.
Cashman, 30, of no fixed address, and 21-year-old Bradshaw, of Vale Drive, Thornaby, both pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
While 21-year-old Moor, of Centenary Crescent, Norton, is on trial at Teesside Crown Court after pleading not guilty to the charge.
Jurors had heard how Mr Matthews’ mother found him unconscious in bed.
In her evidence, she said: “He looked greyish in the face and I noticed a cut on his lip, it was swollen with a bit of dried blood on it.
“His eyes were closed, and I shouted – ‘Aiden wake up’.”
Jamie Hill KC, prosecuting, said Matthews was lured to an alleyway near Norton High Street where he was assaulted.
The barrister said the attackers were two men – Cashman and Bradshaw.
The 31-year-old had suffered a bleed on the brain and died as a result of his injuries on January 3 this year.
The trial continues while the jury is considering its verdict.