TWO Risca men charged with the murder of a 35-year-old man appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court for a preliminary hearing yesterday.

Raymond Ball, 33, and Gavin Harris, 28, will appear at Cardiff Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on November 14 .

They are charged in connection with the death of Stephen Lambert last Wednesday.

The men were remanded in custody to appear at the next hearing.

Police and ambulance crews were called to a house Twmbarlwm Close in Risca at about 8.45pm on Wednesday.

Mr Lambert was found fatally injured.

He was taken by ambulance to Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital, where he later died.

Police cordoned off two areas in Twmbarlwm Close following the incident.

Witnesses said a helicopter searched the area on Wednesday night while armed police patrolled the street.

One resident who spoke to the Argus last week said he they saw about eight police cars there that evening.

After his death, tributes to Mr Lambert – who was known as Lammy – were posted on social media.

One user wrote: One user wrote: “R.I.P Lammy u will be sadly missed by so many people”.

Another user wrote: “So sad! R.I.P”.

Another said: “Omg that’s shocking never thought anything like this would happen in Risca”,.

Another added: “Rip Stephen, so awful, thoughts to your family”.