A young waiter who died after an alleged attack at a Maidstone flat suffered fatal head injuries, a coroner heard today.

An inquest into the death of 20-year-old Joele Leotta was opened and adjourned at the Archbishops Palace this morning.

The hearing heard Mr Leotta and his best friend Alex Galbiati were in their pyjamas and getting ready for bed when they were allegedly assaulted.

Coroner Patricia Harding was today told a post mortem examination revealed Italian Mr Leotta died from head injuries.

Four men charged with his murder are due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday.

The Lithuanians were charged after Mr Leotta was fatally injured at a flat above an Italian restaurant in Lower Stone Street.

The four, from Maidstone, are also accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Galbiati, who was taken to hospital and is now recovering from his wounds.

The defendants are Lithuanians Aleksandras Zuravliovas, 26, of Beaumont Road; Tomas Gelezinis, 30, of Lower Stone Street; Saulius Tamoliunas, 23, of Union Street; and 21-year-old Linas Zidonis, of no fixed address.

Mr Leotta only arrived in Maidstone with Mr Galbiati to learn English 10 days before his death.

He was working as a waiter at Vesuvius Italian restaurant - below a bedsit where he was assaulted on Sunday, October 20.

He was taken to King's College Hospital in London, but later died.

Just days before his death, Mr Leotta told his Facebook friends he wanted to settle in the UK and describing life as "perfect".

He wrote: "I have found work in an Italian restaurant, people from Naples, and now I've started to make friends. Really everything is going swimmingly!"

But three days after posting the uplifting message he was fatally injured when he and Alex were injured above his workplace.

A total of 10 men have been arrested in connection with Mr Leotta's death.

Two have been released without charge and four released on police bail pending further inquiries.

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